News Analysis India

Tag: Caste Violence

  • Dalit man killed by in-laws for marrying upper-caste woman in Uttarakhand

    By PTI

    PITHORAGARH: A Dalit man was allegedly killed by his in-laws for marrying an upper-caste woman in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, an official said on Friday.

    Jagdish Chandra, a Dalit political activist from Panuadhokhan village, was found dead in a car in Bhikiasain town on Friday, Salt sub-division tehsildar Nisha Rani said.

    His wife’s mother, her step-father and her step-brother were caught while taking the body in the car to dispose of it, she said, adding they were immediately placed under arrest.

    The couple had got married on August 21 and Chandra was abducted by his in-laws on Thursday, Rani said.

    On August 27, the couple wrote to the administration seeking security, citing a threat to their lives, Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader P C Tiwari said.

    He said the victim had contested elections from the Salt assembly seat twice on the party’s symbol.

    Tiwari said had the administration acted on the couple’s complaint, Chandra could have been saved.

    Calling the murder a matter of shame for Uttarakhand, he demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim’s wife.

    PITHORAGARH: A Dalit man was allegedly killed by his in-laws for marrying an upper-caste woman in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, an official said on Friday.

    Jagdish Chandra, a Dalit political activist from Panuadhokhan village, was found dead in a car in Bhikiasain town on Friday, Salt sub-division tehsildar Nisha Rani said.

    His wife’s mother, her step-father and her step-brother were caught while taking the body in the car to dispose of it, she said, adding they were immediately placed under arrest.

    The couple had got married on August 21 and Chandra was abducted by his in-laws on Thursday, Rani said.

    On August 27, the couple wrote to the administration seeking security, citing a threat to their lives, Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader P C Tiwari said.

    He said the victim had contested elections from the Salt assembly seat twice on the party’s symbol.

    Tiwari said had the administration acted on the couple’s complaint, Chandra could have been saved.

    Calling the murder a matter of shame for Uttarakhand, he demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim’s wife.

  • In pain over atrocities on Dalits, Rajasthan MLA Pana Chand Meghwal decides to resign

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Miffed over cases of alleged atrocities on Dalits, Congress MLA Pana Chand Meghwal on Monday sent his resignation to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he does not have the right to stay as an MLA if he cannot protect the rights of his community.

    The development comes two days after the death of a Dalit boy who was allegedly beaten by a school teacher in Jalore for touching a drinking water pot.

    “When we fail to protect the rights of our community. We have no right to remain on the post. After listening to my inner voice, I resign from the post of the MLA, so that I can serve the community without any position,” the MLA from Baran-Atru constituency said his resignation letter.

    Meghwal said though the country is celebrating 75th anniversary of Independence, atrocities on Dalits and the other deprived classes continue.

    “I am hurt looking at the atrocities. I cannot express my pain in words, the way my community is being tortured,” he said.

    “Dalits are being killed for drinking water from a pot, sporting a moustache or riding a mare during a wedding. The judicial process is stalled and case files are passed from one table to the other. Cases of atrocities against Dalits are on the rise in the last few years. It seems there is no one to protect the rights of Dalits given by the Constitution,” he said.

    READ HERE | Dalit boy death: Mayawati demands President’s Rule in Rajasthan

    “In most of the cases lodged by Dalits, the police submit the final report. Many a times, I have raised such cases in the state assembly but no action was taken by the police,” Meghwal rued.

    Meanwhile, to probe the death of the boy who was beaten by his teacher, the state’s Scheduled Castes and Schheduled Tribes Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa arrived in Jalore on Monday.

    Indra Kumar, 9, was beaten up in the school on July 20.

    He died during treatment at a hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Saturday.

    The accused teacher, Chail Singh, 40, has been arrested.

    The state government has announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh for the victim’s family.

    JAIPUR: Miffed over cases of alleged atrocities on Dalits, Congress MLA Pana Chand Meghwal on Monday sent his resignation to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he does not have the right to stay as an MLA if he cannot protect the rights of his community.

    The development comes two days after the death of a Dalit boy who was allegedly beaten by a school teacher in Jalore for touching a drinking water pot.

    “When we fail to protect the rights of our community. We have no right to remain on the post. After listening to my inner voice, I resign from the post of the MLA, so that I can serve the community without any position,” the MLA from Baran-Atru constituency said his resignation letter.

    Meghwal said though the country is celebrating 75th anniversary of Independence, atrocities on Dalits and the other deprived classes continue.

    “I am hurt looking at the atrocities. I cannot express my pain in words, the way my community is being tortured,” he said.

    “Dalits are being killed for drinking water from a pot, sporting a moustache or riding a mare during a wedding. The judicial process is stalled and case files are passed from one table to the other. Cases of atrocities against Dalits are on the rise in the last few years. It seems there is no one to protect the rights of Dalits given by the Constitution,” he said.

    READ HERE | Dalit boy death: Mayawati demands President’s Rule in Rajasthan

    “In most of the cases lodged by Dalits, the police submit the final report. Many a times, I have raised such cases in the state assembly but no action was taken by the police,” Meghwal rued.

    Meanwhile, to probe the death of the boy who was beaten by his teacher, the state’s Scheduled Castes and Schheduled Tribes Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa arrived in Jalore on Monday.

    Indra Kumar, 9, was beaten up in the school on July 20.

    He died during treatment at a hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Saturday.

    The accused teacher, Chail Singh, 40, has been arrested.

    The state government has announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh for the victim’s family.

  • SC/ST atrocities cases increased by 11.46% in 2019 from previous year: Minister Ramdas Athawale

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The number of cases related to atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities in 2018 decreased approximately by 11.15 per cent from the year 2017, but increased by 11.46 per cent in 2019 from the previous year, the Centre said on Wednesday.

    In a written response in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale also said that the central government has been reviewing with the law implementing agencies of state governments for ensuring prompt registering of atrocities, speedy investigation of the offences and timely dispensing of cases by the courts.

    “The atrocity cases against SC/STs in the year 2018 decreased approximately by 11.15 per cent from the year 2017, but increased by 11.46 per cent in the year 2019 from the previous year,” he said.

    According to the National Crime Records Bureau data shared by him, in 2019, a total of 49,608 such cases were registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in conjunction with IPC, while 44,505 cases were registered in 2018 and 50,094 cases in 2017.

    Further, the government has issued advisories to the state governments/UT administrations from time to time for effective implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and rules, the minister added.

  • Members of Dalit family assaulted in Rajasthan’s Pali, four held

    By PTI
    JODHPUR: Members of a Dalit family were allegedly assaulted in Rajasthan’s Pali district after they lodged a complaint against some upper caste people of their village, alleging life threat.

    Four people were held on Saturday evening in connection with the incident, which took place at Sirana village in the district on Friday, according to police.

    Police have booked the accused under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Pali SP Kalu Ram Rawat said.

    After the incident, a member of the family had made a video, narrating their plight.

    The police action came after the video surfaced on social media.

    Ashok Meghwal alleged in the video that some men belonging to upper caste attacked his mother Daili Devi and pregnant sister Lalita Devi over a land dispute.

    He said two cases pertaining to the dispute are pending in the court but Thakur Hukum Singh Rajput of the village has been pressuring them to vacate the land.

    “We have been living on this land since generations but Hukum Singh has been putting pressure on us to vacate this place and also demanding money,” Meghwal alleged.

    Meghwal said they had given a complaint against Hukum Singh and six others to the Rohet police on March 15, suspecting threat to their lives.

    “But police did not take any action in time and on Friday, some 10-12 persons again attacked us, abused us and beat up my mother and pregnant sister,” said Meghwal in the video.

    Meghwal claimed that he had also written to the Rajasthan chief minister, DGP and local officials but no action was taken against the accused.

    Taking advantage of the apathy of the system, the accused attacked us, Meghwal said.

    Commenting on the case, SP Rawat said, “We have arrested four people and searches are being conducted to arrest the other accused named in the FIR. We have also provided security to the family.”

    The other side also filed an FIR against the Meghwal’s family, accusing them of theft and other petty offences.

    “Police also submitted a detailed report to the magistrate which issued summons to the accused persons on March 22,” said Rawat.

  • Woman’s body found hanging from tree in UP: FIR against three for rape, murder

    By PTI
    MAHOBA: An FIR was registered against three men on Monday for allegedly raping and killing a Dalit woman, whose body was found hanging from a tree in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said.

    On a complaint from the victim’s mother, an FIR was registered against Rohit, Bhupendra and Tarun on charges of rape and under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, SHO, Kulpahad police station, Ravindra Tiwari said.

    A probe is on in the matter.

    No arrest has so far been made.

    The victim (18) left home to buy vegetables on Saturday afternoon but did not return.

    Later, her family members found her body hanging from a tree in the Belatal area, Circle Officer Rampravesh Rai had said.

    The woman’s aunt told the police on Sunday that she was being harassed by a man in their locality, who was making phone calls to her for the last one month.

    She alleged that the victim’s body was hanged from the tree after she was killed, the officer had said.