Case of attempted rape of Dalit woman: Accused sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and fined Rs 51,000 in Sant Kabir Nagar
The court has pronounced its verdict in the case of attempted rape of a Dalit woman in Sant Kabir Nagar. ADJ and Special Judge SCST Act Bhupendra Rai has sentenced the accused Manish Pal to 5 years imprisonment. The case is of Kotwali Khalilabad police station area. On 14 February 2015, the victim was sleeping in the room with her three-year-old son. At around three in the morning, the accused Manish Pal entered the room. He tried to rape the victim by pressing her mouth. On hearing the victim’s voice, her brother-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law woke up. The accused started running, but everyone recognized him in the light of the electricity. The police registered a case of attempted rape and SCST Act in the matter. 8 witnesses were presented in the court on behalf of the prosecution. All of them confirmed the incident. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 51,000 on the accused. Half of the fine amount will be given to the victim. If the accused does not pay the fine, he will have to serve an additional sentence of 5 months. However, the court acquitted the accused of the charges under the SC/ST Act. Digant Shrivastava Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Gunpoint Threats, Clothes Torn’: Dalit Family Alleges Attack by BJP Minister in UP’s Mainpuri
In Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit family was assaulted and humiliated allegedly by a BJP District Minister and his brother. The incident occurred on the way to the Kumhaul fair in the Kishni area. According to the victim’s complaint, the assault began after the Dalit family’s eco car allegedly failed to give way to the BJP leader’s vehicle. Enraged, Hariom Dubey, BJP District Minister of Kishni, along with his brother Ankit Dubey and others, allegedly blocked their car, hurled caste-based abuses, and launched a physical attack. The family alleged that the attackers dragged women out of the vehicle, tore their clothes, and threatened them at gunpoint. They further claimed that the attackers, armed with sticks and pistols, called in 6–7 more men and continued the assault with kicks and punches. Local residents intervened to save the family from further violence. Later in the evening, the victims reached the Elau police station and filed a complaint. Initially, police action was delayed, prompting a strong reaction from the Dalit community. From 3 pm till late night, around a hundred locals and relatives of the victims camped outside the police station demanding justice. Azad Samaj Party leaders Alok Yadav and OP Sagar also joined the protest. The situation escalated until SP MLA Brijesh Katheria reached the station around 10 pm, refusing to leave until a case was registered. Following the pressure, police finally lodged an FIR against Hariom Dubey, Ankit Dubey, and 6–7 unidentified assailants under multiple serious charges, including the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Courtesy : The Observer Post Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
H’bag’s Hathiya Baba temple: Where travellers worship a Dalit priest’s statue
Hazaribag: In one of the greatest examples of complete faith, breaking caste barriers and untouchability, travellers pray in front of statues of an elephant and a Dalit man at a temple in Hazaribag district. The temple is situated adjacent to the GT Road in the Mahuatand village of Chouparan block on the Jharkhand-Bihar border and is around 69 km away from the district headquarters. From truck drivers to families travelling through this area on the GT Road, people never forget to bow their heads at the temple for a safe journey. It all started in 1973 when an elephant was killed after it was hit by a speeding truck. Following the death of the elephant, a series of accidents occurred at the same spot. Locals were baffled, and as a result, the then officer-in-charge of Chouparan police station, R Singh, took the help of a local fortune teller called Mahru Bhagat. He allegedly told the police officer that the accidents were happening at the same spot because the spirit of the dead jumbo was creating trouble. As suggested by the fortune teller, it was decided that a temple should be built near the accident site with a statue of an elephant in it. Soon, a temple was built and a statue of the elephant was placed in it. In addition, the fortune teller, Bhagat, who was quite popular in the area because of his fortune-telling, was made the priest of the temple, despite being from the Dalit community. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Dalit girl kidnapped and gangraped in Lucknow: 4 youths brutally raped her by gagging her mouth
In Lucknow, 4 youths kidnapped and gangraped a 16-year-old Dalit girl. 2 youths kidnapped her on a bike and took her to the forest. There, they called two other youths and raped her. When she protested, they beat her up and threatened to kill her After that, they made her sit on the bike and started taking her to another place. On the way, the girl showed courage and made their bike fall. The villagers gathered at the spot caught one of the accused. On the basis of interrogation, another accused was also caught. The search for two other accused is on. The incident took place in Bakshi Ka Talab police station area on Thursday night. The police have registered a case in the matter. The girl was kidnapped while coming from the old to the new house A 16-year-old girl from Bakshi Ka Talab was going from her old house to the new house at around 8:30 pm on Thursday night. On the way, two youths forcibly caught her at a deserted place. They gagged her and made her sit on the bike. After this, they took her towards the forest. Two other youths also came there. All four of them gang-raped the girl. When she protested, they beat her badly. They tried to kill her by strangulating her. After that, they made her sit on the bike and started taking her to some other place. On the way near the village, the girl started shouting. They showed courage and turned the bike’s handle. Due to this, the bike fell. Hearing the girl’s shout, the villagers gathered at the spot. The villagers caught one youth. The girl told her ordeal to the people. On this, the villagers complained to the police control room. The police, who arrived on the information, took the youth into custody. He was taken to the police station and questioned. On his basis, one of his associates was also arrested. Both the accused were identified as Shiva Singh and Raj. The girl could not identify the other two accused. Allegation against the police of dilly-dallying in the case The family gave a written complaint about the case to the BKT police station. It is alleged that the police was dilly-dallying in taking action. On this, Lakhan Army chief Suraj Pasi posted about the matter on x. He tagged Lucknow Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and DGP and wrote – A minor girl was gang-raped in Thana Bakshi Ka Talab, District Lucknow area. His post was reposted by Women and Child Security Organization 1090 tagging Lucknow Police to take action in the matter. After that, Lucknow Police informed about the matter being in cognizance. Suraj Pasi also informed ACP BKT Amol Murkut about the matter. At the same time, the police station in-charge also expressed displeasure over the tweet. Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit Class 10 student assaulted, called “unworthy of education” by school owner in Gujarat’s Morbi
Morbi: A 15-year-old Dalit student was allegedly assaulted and subjected to casteist abuse by the owner of his school in Gujarat’s Morbi district on Tuesday. The student, enrolled in Class 10 at Gyan Ganga School in Wankaner, was reportedly attacked by school owner Yogendrasinh Zala. According to the police, the incident occurred near a girls’ school while the boy was eating snacks. Zala allegedly approached him, hurled caste-based slurs, and told him he was “not worthy of education” before physically assaulting him, including a kick to the groin. The boy’s father, a 40-year-old sanitation worker, was informed of the incident around 1 p.m. by a local resident, Siddharth Vaghela. The student later recounted the ordeal at home, after which he was taken to Wankaner Government Hospital. He had collapsed briefly after the assault and underwent sonography and treatment. A case has been registered at Wankaner City Police Station under Section 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The investigation has been handed over to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Morbi SC-ST Cell. Authorities are currently searching for Zala, and further details regarding the motive and nature of the casteist abuse are expected to emerge following his arrest. Courtesy : Vartha Bharati Note: This news is originally published on https:/varthabharati.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
From getting Dalit grooms off the horse to drinking water from the pot: Why is ‘creamy layer’ a conspiracy of the upper castes in SC/ST reservation, Ajaak lists the reasons
Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability, which accepts caste-based stigma. Despite economic prosperity, the SC class has to face discrimination in workplaces and society. Jaipur: Disputes are once again arising over the reservation system provided to Scheduled Castes/Tribes (SC/ST) by the Indian Constitution. A petition filed in the Supreme Court has demanded the implementation of ‘creamy layer’ (excluding economically prosperous class from reservation) in SC/ST reservation like OBC. In response to this, Dr. Ambedkar Scheduled Caste Officers- Employees Association (AJAK) Rajasthan has sent a memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu strongly opposing this ‘wrong and malicious’ concept and has demanded the central government to advocate it in the Supreme Court. AJAK President and retired IAS officer Shriram Chordia has said in a letter that reservation is a measure to remove social backwardness, not economic assistance. He cited recent incidents highlighting the deep social hatred and discrimination against the SC/ST community. He said, “SC/ST class was deprived of education and wealth acquisition by the conservative and Manuvadi system prevailing for thousands of years in Indian history. They were forced to do menial jobs generation after generation and were forced to live a socially despised, excluded and inhuman life. They were divided on the basis of birth, due to which this society is deprived of its fundamental rights and is living at the lowest rung of the society.” “To free this deprived, exploited and oppressed society from caste inequality and untouchability prevailing for thousands of years and to give them the right to live a respectable life like other citizens in a democracy and to bring them into the mainstream of the country along with other societies, an attempt was made to establish social justice by making provision for the system of representation (reservation) in the Indian Constitution and to ensure social participation of all castes in society and administration.” Chordia wrote, “In view of the caste system in India, the demand for reservation on economic basis is strange because in the last 3-4 years in Rajasthan alone, 60 Dalit grooms have been humiliated on the basis of caste and taken down from the horse, and a Dalit student of school (temple of education) was killed for drinking water from a pot and Dalits were killed for keeping a moustache.” He stressed that crimes against Dalits are increasing on the basis of caste, not on economic basis. If it were on economic basis, then a Dalit IPS officer would not have to take out a procession under police protection and the funeral procession of a Dalit person is stopped from going on the main road and in the temple only on the basis of caste and not on economic basis. Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability, which accepts caste-based stigma. Despite economic prosperity, the SC class has to face discrimination in workplaces and society. (Example: 50,000 annual atrocities according to NCRB 2023). The principle of creamy layer ignores this reality.” Supreme Court petition and appeal to the government The memorandum states that in Ramashankar Prajapati vs. Government of India (Writ Petition No. 682/2025), a demand has been made to implement creamy layer in SC/ST reservation, on which the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Central Government to respond on September 10. Ajak has requested the President to direct the Central and State Governments and the National Scheduled Caste Commission to oppose this petition and ensure that creamy layer is not applied in SC/ST reservation. Also, senior advocates should be appointed to plead this case. Chordia clarified in his argument that Articles 15 (4), 16 (4), 335 and 341 of the Constitution provide reservation to SC/ST to eliminate social discrimination and untouchability, and not only on the basis of economic weakness. He cited the Supreme Court’s Indra Sawhney (1992) and M. Nagaraj Citing the decisions of (2006), it said that the Court itself has accepted that SC/ST reservation is based on social backwardness, not on economic status, and that is why the concept of creamy layer for SC/ST was kept different from OBC. Ajak has warned that if creamy layer is implemented in SC/ST reservation, it will open the way to weaken the reservation, which will be a violation of Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution. This will limit the access of economically prosperous people of SC/ST community to high positions (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, Judiciary), whereas the purpose of reservation is to ensure adequate representation of these classes in administration and society. The memorandum said that the principle of reservation is already being flouted by methods like privatization, outsourcing, contractual appointments and not filling vacancies. Creamy layer is another link in this chain whose aim is to deprive Dalit-Adivasis of their constitutional rights. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit community seeks justice for murder victim
Members of the Dalit community held a meeting at the Ghati Valmiki Maharaj Mandir in Ludhiana on Wednesday to seek justice for Kartik Baggan, who was killed a few days ago at Sundar Nagar Chowk. It has been four days since the incident. Senior police officials are yet to publicly disclose whether any arrests were made in the case. There is a lot of anger among the family members of the victim and the Dalit community in general. The family did not even get a post-mortem examination carried out. They said they would only cremate the body once the suspects were arrested. They alleged that despite having registered a complaint against Shubham Mota, Gagan Gill and Tony Chauhan, the suspects were still at large. Courtesy : The Tribune India Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribuneindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Accused arrested for assaulting Dalit woman: Dispute over solar light pole, sent to jail under SC-ST Act
A dispute broke out over installing a solar light pole on a government road in Makhdoompur village of Hazratnagar Garhi area of Sambhal. During this, a Dalit woman was injured. Police have arrested one accused and sent him to jail. The incident took place on Saturday. There was a fight between Jaivendra son of Lalu Singh and Talib son of Tasleem over installing a solar light pole on a government road. Both sides had sticks. During this, the woman was attacked with a sickle. On the complaint of the victim Pooja Valmiki, the police have registered a case against four people. The accused Jareef s/o Farzand Ali, Jaanesar s/o Jareef, Talib s/o Tasleem and Rabia s/o Tasleem have been booked under sections 115(2), 352, 352(3), 118(1), 76 of the IPC and 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST Act. Inspector Anuj Tomar said the injured woman has been sent for medical examination. One of the accused was arrested and produced in court. The court has sent him to jail. A case is already going on in the court regarding the dispute over the government road. Sunny Gupta, Courtesy : Hindi News
Lakhimpur Kheri: First the house of a Scheduled Caste family was demolished with a bulldozer, now the officers are busy in settling them
The matter of demolition of the hut of a Scheduled Caste family in Maharajnagar village reached Lucknow. The Chief Minister took cognizance of the matter. After this, the officers are now busy in settling the victim family. The matter of demolition of the hut of a Scheduled Caste family settled for the last several years in Panchayat Grant No. 10 of Bankeganj in Lakhimpur Kheri has become a matter of concern. After the Chief Minister took cognizance, the Gola Tehsil administration has come on the back foot. On Tuesday, BJP MLA Romi Sahni reached the spot and assured the victim that he would be settled at the same place. He also provided financial assistance of Rs 10,000 for this. On Saturday, the Tehsil administration demolished the house of Udan of Scheduled Caste, who was living on a Bhumidhari land for the last several years, with a bulldozer in Maharajnagar village. After the matter came into media headlines, the Chief Minister took cognizance of it and obtained complete information. Due to this, the Gola tehsil administration came on the back foot. Efforts were started to rehabilitate the victim family at the same place from where they were displaced. Regional MLA Romi Sahni also reached the spot on Tuesday. He assured the victim family that they will be rehabilitated at the same place from where they were removed. He has given 10 thousand rupees from his own pocket to the victim family for putting up a tin shed. During this time, SDM Gola, Tehsildar, Police Station Incharge Mailani and many other people were present. Published by: Mukesh Kumar Courtesy: Hindi News
JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda clarifies his stand on govt. nomination to co-operative societies; says he is not anti-Dalit
Seeking to make it clear that he was not “anti-Dalit”, JD(S) MLA and former Minister G.T. Deve Gowda said that he was not opposed to the proposed nomination to the Boards of co-operative societies, but had questioned the Karnataka government’s prerogative to nominate members to the co-operative institutions that had not received any financial assistance. Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Tuesday, Mr. Deve Gowda said he had asked the government to also include representatives from the backward classes along with members of SC/ST communities and women among the nominated members. Mr. Gowda’s press conference was in the backdrop of protests against him by Dalit organisations over his reported opposition to the provisions of the recently passed Karnataka Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2025 during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly. He said his opposition to certain other provisions of the piece of legislation were only aimed at protecting the autonomy or freedom of the co-operative institutions. Further, Mr. Gowda cited several examples of his efforts to ensure prominent posts to Dalits in co-operative sectors as well as in politics. “I am not anti-Dalit. I am not casteist,” he said. Dharmasthala case With regard to the row over alleged mass burials at Dharmasthala, Mr. Gowda said that it was not possible to malign the reputation of an institution like the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala or its trustee Veerendra Heggade, but asked the government to ensure that the ongoing probe into the allegations is completed at the earliest. He said it was necessary for the government, which had constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter, to complete the investigation as early as possible and punish the persons guilty. Dasara inauguration Speaking about the BJP’s opposition to the State government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year’s Dasara festival, Mr. Gowda said that the author will not do the same if she does not have faith in the deity of Chamundeshwari. As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had been vested with the power to take a decision on choosing a suitable guest to inaugurate Dasara 2025, he has exercised his prerogative and chosen Ms. Mushtaq, he said. The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.