Tag: Caste Crimes

  • UP: Sanskrit teacher alleges school staff of caste-based discrimination

    By PTI

    BARABANKI: A Sanskrit teacher here has accused his school principal and other staff of caste-based discrimination.

    The teacher has lodged a complaint to the district authorities.

    According to senior district officials, Abhay Kumar Kori of City Inter College has alleged that teachers of Kshatriya caste in the school have formed a group.

    “They tell me not to try to become equal with them. They harass me on a regular basis stating that I come from Schedule Castes and can’t work with them,” reads his complaint.

    Kori has alleged that the teachers cut his braid and hit him recently.

    He has claimed he complained to police about the incident but no action was taken.

    Kori has alleged that the teachers use castiest words against him and he is not allowed to take classes or sign in the attendance register.

    S C Gautam, the principal of the school, has refuted the allegations and claimed, “Abhay Kumar Kori was suspended by the management of the school for mistreating girl students and beating them up.”

    “Though he has been reinstated, the investigation is still pending against him. This is why he has been asked to sign in a separate register and he is kept away from education work, ” he added.

    District Inspector of Schools (DIoS) OP Tripathi said, “The teacher (Kori) has made several allegations against the teachers of the school. A report from the school administration has been sought regarding the issue and necessary action will be taken.”

    BARABANKI: A Sanskrit teacher here has accused his school principal and other staff of caste-based discrimination.

    The teacher has lodged a complaint to the district authorities.

    According to senior district officials, Abhay Kumar Kori of City Inter College has alleged that teachers of Kshatriya caste in the school have formed a group.

    “They tell me not to try to become equal with them. They harass me on a regular basis stating that I come from Schedule Castes and can’t work with them,” reads his complaint.

    Kori has alleged that the teachers cut his braid and hit him recently.

    He has claimed he complained to police about the incident but no action was taken.

    Kori has alleged that the teachers use castiest words against him and he is not allowed to take classes or sign in the attendance register.

    S C Gautam, the principal of the school, has refuted the allegations and claimed, “Abhay Kumar Kori was suspended by the management of the school for mistreating girl students and beating them up.”

    “Though he has been reinstated, the investigation is still pending against him. This is why he has been asked to sign in a separate register and he is kept away from education work, ” he added.

    District Inspector of Schools (DIoS) OP Tripathi said, “The teacher (Kori) has made several allegations against the teachers of the school. A report from the school administration has been sought regarding the issue and necessary action will be taken.”

  • Dalit student thrashed, head rubbed on ground by teacher in UP

    By PTI

    BHADOHI: A seven-year-old Dalit student was allegedly beaten up and his head rubbed on the ground by a teacher in this district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, officials said.

    The Dalit boy, studying in Class 2 in government primary school in Gangapur Talia village in Kiorauna area, was playing in the school ground when the teacher punched him and rubbed his head on the ground, said Jai Prakash Yadav, Station House Officer of Koirauna police station.

    The student sustained an injury near his right eye, he said.

    Yadav said the student’s uncle has lodged a complaint about the matter and further investigation is on.

    Assistant Basic Education Officer (Digh Block) Farha Rais said the education department has taken cognisance of the incident.

    A notice has been served to the teacher and an explanation sought from him about the matter, she said.

    Rais said she herself is probing the matter and will ensure appropriate action is taken against the accused.

    BHADOHI: A seven-year-old Dalit student was allegedly beaten up and his head rubbed on the ground by a teacher in this district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, officials said.

    The Dalit boy, studying in Class 2 in government primary school in Gangapur Talia village in Kiorauna area, was playing in the school ground when the teacher punched him and rubbed his head on the ground, said Jai Prakash Yadav, Station House Officer of Koirauna police station.

    The student sustained an injury near his right eye, he said.

    Yadav said the student’s uncle has lodged a complaint about the matter and further investigation is on.

    Assistant Basic Education Officer (Digh Block) Farha Rais said the education department has taken cognisance of the incident.

    A notice has been served to the teacher and an explanation sought from him about the matter, she said.

    Rais said she herself is probing the matter and will ensure appropriate action is taken against the accused.

  • Amid row over Jalore student death, more cases against Rajasthan teachers for thrashing Dalit pupils

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: A government schoolteacher was taken into custody and suspended for allegedly thrashing a 14-year-old Dalit student in Rajasthan’s Pali district, police said Friday.

    In a similar incident in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, a Class 5 Dalit student was beaten up by a schoolteacher, police said.

    Police have registered cases against both teachers.

    In Pali district, a case of alleged assault on a Dalit student was registered against Bhanwar Singh, a teacher of Government Higher Secondary School, on Thursday night, Bagdi SHO Bhanwarlal said.

    He said the case was registered under Section 151 of the CrPC on a complaint lodged by the student’s family members and he has been taken into custody.

    The education department has suspended the accused teacher.

    In Dausa, a case was registered against a government schoolteacher, Rameshwar Gurjar, for thrashing a Class 5th Dalit student.

    Manpur Circle Officer Santram said the incident took place on August 6.

    The student was examined and investigation is underway.

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan Dalit boy death: Gehlot promises fast track trial; minister threatens to withdraw support from Congress government

    Earlier this month, a nine-year-old Dalit boy was thrashed by a schoolteacher in Rajasthan’s Jalore district for allegedly touching a water pot meant for upper castes.

    The boy later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.

    However, the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is yet to ascertain whether the death was a result of caste-based discrimination.

    It has been widely reported that Indra Kumar Meghwal, a Class III student of Saraswati Vidhya Mandir in Surana village, was allegedly beaten up by his teacher Chail Singh on July 20 for touching a drinking water pot and he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on August 14.

    Shiv Bhagwan Naga, an RSCPCR member, who visited Surana village in Jalore on August 17, said according to fellow students, teacher Singh had slapped Meghwal and another student for “fighting over a drawing book”, as a result of which he suffered injuries in his ear and eye.

    ALSO READ | ‘Mere talk won’t help Dalits, action needed’: Sachin Pilot on Jalore student death

    “I visited the boy’s school and home. I spoke to many of the students, teachers and local people apart from the family. While most of the students ruled out any caste-based discrimination and separate drinking water arrangement in the school, Meghwal’s cousin said the teacher thrashed him because he drank water from the pot after lunch,” he told PTI.

    Meghwal’s cousin is a Class V student in the same school.

    Naga said according to other students and teachers, there was no water pot in the school and everyone on the premises drank water from a tank.

    Villagers have also denied any incident of caste-based discrimination there, he said.

    Naga said the commission has directed the education department to ensure that in case the school’s recognition gets withdrawn, its students should be shifted to another school so that their studies do not suffer.

    Jalore Superintendent of Police Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla also said the allegation that the teacher had beaten up the boy for touching the water pot could not be established so far.

    “The matter is under investigation but it could not be established so far that the teacher thrashed him for touching the pot,” he said.

    Meanwhile, MP from Rajasthan’s Nagaur constituency Hanuman Beniwal sat on a dharna along with his supporters at the Jalore district collectorate demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Meghwal’s family.

    JAIPUR: A government schoolteacher was taken into custody and suspended for allegedly thrashing a 14-year-old Dalit student in Rajasthan’s Pali district, police said Friday.

    In a similar incident in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, a Class 5 Dalit student was beaten up by a schoolteacher, police said.

    Police have registered cases against both teachers.

    In Pali district, a case of alleged assault on a Dalit student was registered against Bhanwar Singh, a teacher of Government Higher Secondary School, on Thursday night, Bagdi SHO Bhanwarlal said.

    He said the case was registered under Section 151 of the CrPC on a complaint lodged by the student’s family members and he has been taken into custody.

    The education department has suspended the accused teacher.

    In Dausa, a case was registered against a government schoolteacher, Rameshwar Gurjar, for thrashing a Class 5th Dalit student.

    Manpur Circle Officer Santram said the incident took place on August 6.

    The student was examined and investigation is underway.

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan Dalit boy death: Gehlot promises fast track trial; minister threatens to withdraw support from Congress government

    Earlier this month, a nine-year-old Dalit boy was thrashed by a schoolteacher in Rajasthan’s Jalore district for allegedly touching a water pot meant for upper castes.

    The boy later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.

    However, the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is yet to ascertain whether the death was a result of caste-based discrimination.

    It has been widely reported that Indra Kumar Meghwal, a Class III student of Saraswati Vidhya Mandir in Surana village, was allegedly beaten up by his teacher Chail Singh on July 20 for touching a drinking water pot and he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on August 14.

    Shiv Bhagwan Naga, an RSCPCR member, who visited Surana village in Jalore on August 17, said according to fellow students, teacher Singh had slapped Meghwal and another student for “fighting over a drawing book”, as a result of which he suffered injuries in his ear and eye.

    ALSO READ | ‘Mere talk won’t help Dalits, action needed’: Sachin Pilot on Jalore student death

    “I visited the boy’s school and home. I spoke to many of the students, teachers and local people apart from the family. While most of the students ruled out any caste-based discrimination and separate drinking water arrangement in the school, Meghwal’s cousin said the teacher thrashed him because he drank water from the pot after lunch,” he told PTI.

    Meghwal’s cousin is a Class V student in the same school.

    Naga said according to other students and teachers, there was no water pot in the school and everyone on the premises drank water from a tank.

    Villagers have also denied any incident of caste-based discrimination there, he said.

    Naga said the commission has directed the education department to ensure that in case the school’s recognition gets withdrawn, its students should be shifted to another school so that their studies do not suffer.

    Jalore Superintendent of Police Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla also said the allegation that the teacher had beaten up the boy for touching the water pot could not be established so far.

    “The matter is under investigation but it could not be established so far that the teacher thrashed him for touching the pot,” he said.

    Meanwhile, MP from Rajasthan’s Nagaur constituency Hanuman Beniwal sat on a dharna along with his supporters at the Jalore district collectorate demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Meghwal’s family.

  • MP: Dalit sarpanch, family members assaulted; NCSC issues notice to Shivraj government

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A Dalit sarpanch and his family members were allegedly assaulted and manhandled by an upper caste secretary of the gram panchayat in Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, prompting the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) to send a notice to the state government on Monday.

    Taking strong note of the incident which took place in Dhamchi village during the flag hoisting function on Independence Day on Sunday, the NCSC, on the orders of Chairman Vijay Sampla, sought from the Madhya Pradesh government an action taken report (ATR), immediately.

    According to the information received by the NCSC, a purported video of the alleged incident has gone viral on social media and picked up by various news websites.

    In the clip, Hannu Basor can be seen getting kicked and manhandled by Sunil Tiwari who was upset as the sarpanch had hoisted the tricolour during the Independence Day function, in his absence.

    Through the news article published in the online news websites dated August 16, the NCSC got the information that the sarpanch’s wife and daughter-in-law were also beaten and attacked by the secretary when they came to his rescue, a statement said.

    Soon after the video of the sarpanch’s assault went viral, Sampla tweeted from his official Twitter handle and asked the Madhya Pradesh’s chief secretary, director general of police as well as the district collector and superintendent of police of Chattarpur to submit the ATR through post or e-mail.

    Sampla cautioned the officers that if the ATR is not received, the NCSC might exercise the powers of the civil court conferred on it under article 338 of the constitution and issue summons for their personal appearance before the commission in Delhi.

    “This is saddening that the Dalit sarpanch was attacked for hoisting the national flag during the Independence Day function,” Sampla said in a tweet in Hindi.

  • Maharashtra: Caste panchayat asks woman to lick spit for second marriage; latter files FIR

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A 35-year-old woman, who married for a second time post-divorce, was ordered by a ‘caste panchayat’ of her community to lick spit as punishment in Maharashtra’s Akola district, an official said on Friday.

    The caste panchayat also ordered the woman to pay Rs 1 lakh to it for her act, he said.

    Showing courage, the woman defied both the diktats and lodged a police complaint.

    The shocking incident took place last month, but came to light when a case was registered against the unofficial village council, he said.

    On a complaint of the victim, who stays in Jalgaon district, an FIR under sections 5 and 6 of the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2016, has been registered against ten members of the caste panchayat, the official said.

    The FIR was registered on Thursday evening at Jalgaon’s Chopda city police station, under whose jurisdiction the woman resides, and later the case was transferred for investigation to the Pinjar police station in Akola where the incident took place, he said.

    According to the complaint, the incident took place on April 9 at Wadgaon village in Akola, where the caste panchayat was called to take a decision on the second marriage of the victim, he said.

    The victim belongs to the ‘Nath Jogi’ community, whose caste panchayat did not accept her second marriage, the official said.

    The victim got married for the second time in 2019 after taking divorce from her first husband in 2015, the official said.

    Her first marriage took place in 2011, he said.

    At the caste panchayat meeting, members discussed the woman’s second marriage and called her sister and other relatives, and delivered their “verdict” on the issue (the victim was not present at the meet), the official said.

    According to the verdict, members of the caste panchayat were to spit on banana leaves and the victim was to lick it as a punishment, the official said.

    Besides, the caste panchayat sought a payment of Rs 1 lakh from the victim, he said.

    After fulfilling these demands by the panchayat, the victim was told she can “return” to her community, the official said, quoting from the complaint.

    The decision of the caste panchayat was conveyed to the victim by her relatives.

    Shocked by the decision, the victim approached the Chopda city police station and lodged the complaint against members of the panchayat, said Pravin Munde, Superintendent of Police, Jalgaon.

    As the incident took place in Akola, the case has been transferred there for further investigation, he said.