The victims were identified as Sunil Kumar (35), his wife Poonam (32), their six-year-old daughter Drishti, and their one-year-old daughter. Sunil, originally from Rae Bareli, was employed at a government school in Panhauna, Amethi.

उत्तर प्रदेश: जिला अमेठी में बदमाशों ने घर में घुसकर पूरे परिवार को मार डाला। टीचर सुनील कुमार, पत्नी और दोनों बच्चों की गोली मारकर हत्या। पुलिस अफसर मौके पर हैं। pic.twitter.com/aI8QDZtis0

— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) October 3, 2024

#Horrific Four members of a Dalit family were shot dead inside their home. This is a heinous murder. Two small innocent children were also killed. The terrible incident happened in UP’s Amethi, The mainstream Manu media will not tell you. pic.twitter.com/XhJ9KzEXsv

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) October 4, 2024

The main point to note is that the Dalit family had previously approached the police, providing that the family is facing harassment. According to police reports, initial investigation had revealed that Poonam filed the FIR against Chandan Verma in Rae Bareli on August 18, citing harassment and invoking the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In her complaint, she warned that if anything were to happen to her family, Verma should be held accountable.

Responding to the brutal crime and the news of the previous FIR, Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh has stated that the connection between the murders and the previous case has not yet been established. Following the incident, officials from both the police and education departments arrived at the scene, with District Magistrate Nisha Anant and SP Anoop Singh already present. Senior officials from Lucknow were also dispatched to assist in the investigation, which is taking place approximately 60 kilometres from the district headquarters.

Neighbours reported hearing loud gunshots and rushed to the family’s home, only to find them dead in the backyard. The police have assembled teams to investigate, including the Local Intelligence Unit and Special Operations Groups. As part of their efforts, they are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby cameras to identify the assailants. Inspector General of Police Praveen Kumar indicated that preliminary forensic investigations suggest there was no forced entry, implying the assailants were likely known to the victims.

#amethipolice थानाक्षेत्र शिवरतनगंज अन्तर्गत अहोरवा भवानी में पति पत्नी व 02 बच्चों की अज्ञात व्यक्ति द्वारा गोली मारकर हत्या करने की घटना के अनावरण हेतु पुलिस टीमों का गठन कर जा रही वैधानिक कार्यवाही के संबन्ध में #SP_अमेठी द्वारा दी गई बाइट।@Uppolice pic.twitter.com/CPbBJsOWi7

— AMETHI POLICE (@amethipolice) October 3, 2024

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his sorrow over the incident, describing it as “highly condemnable and unforgivable.” He extended his condolences to the bereaved families, asserting that the Uttar Pradesh government stands with them and promising strict legal action against the perpetrators.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav responded to the tragedy with a cryptic post questioning the law-and-order situation in the state, asking, “Koi Hai? Kahin hai? (Is anyone there? Is someone anywhere?)” Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma criticised the government, stating that the “savage criminals” who murdered the family should face the harshest punishment. He condemned the incident, calling it a reflection of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, where criminals appear to operate without fear.

कोई है?
कहीं है??#नहीं_चाहिए_भाजपा pic.twitter.com/tYBizVDoeZ

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 3, 2024

Overall, this shocking mass murder has raised significant concerns about safety of Dalits and the marginalised communities in Uttar Pradesh, with opposition parties demanding urgent action against the assailants and highlighting the failures of the current government to protect its citizens. The Samajwadi Party remarked, “In UP, families are not safe even inside their homes. Jungle Raj is at its peak!”

यूपी में घर के अंदर भी परिवार सुरक्षित नहीं, जंगलराज चरम पर !

अमेठी में बदमाशों द्वारा शिक्षक दंपति और उनके बच्चों की घर में घुसकर हत्या, अत्यंत शर्मनाक घटना।

भाजपा सरकार में कानून व्यवस्था पूरी तरह ध्वस्त, अपराधियों के हौसले बुलंद।

आरोपियों को जल्द गिरफ्तार करे पुलिस, हो सख्त… pic.twitter.com/73cgBUW6Tm

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) October 3, 2024

Recently only, a union government report published by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had revealed that the state of Uttar Pradesh reported a staggering 12,287 cases accounting for 23.78% of the total 51,656 cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, (PoA Act) in the year 2022.  (Detailed report may be read here)

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The post Tragic shooting in Amethi, UP: Dalit teacher and family murdered, investigation reveals family had filed FIR two months ago after facing threats appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Alwar, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan’s Alwar, an eight-year-old Dalit boy was reportedly assaulted for touching a water bucket near a hand pump in a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. As per a report by the Indian Express, the police have stated that the incident occurred on the morning of March 30 when the boy, a fourth-grade student at the village’s government school, went to drink water from the hand pump on school grounds. As per the complaint, a man from a higher caste, who was filling the bucket with water at the time, attacked the boy when he touched the bucket. The man refused to apologise and even shouted at the boy’s family, subjecting them to casteist abuse. A police complaint has been lodged in Ramgarh police station by the parents.

Amethi, Uttar Pradesh

A cases of assault against Dalit people have taken place in UP’s Amethi. The first was against Sunil Kumar Harijan who had been unpaid by his employer for over two months of work. As per a report in The Mooknayak, he is a Dalit youth from Mattepur village in Mohanganj, who does ironwork and had been working for contractor Azhar in Ahmedabad since 2020.  However, before Holi, Sunil returned home and asked Azhar for Rs 30,000 in unpaid wages for two months of work. Azhar refused, claiming dissatisfaction with Sunil’s work. When Sunil pressed on regarding his unpaid wages, Azhar threatened him and subjected him casteist abuses. Following this, Mooknayak reports that he has filed a police complaint under sections 504, 506, 507, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of the Indian Penal Code.

Karauli, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan’s Karauli district, in what seems to be a shocking incident, a magistrate reportedly asked a Dalit gang rape survivor to undress to inspect her injuries. The magistrate has been booked after the survivor lodged a complaint on March 30, accusing the magistrate of requesting this during a court session in Hindaun. The incident is being treated as an instance of outraging modesty, and charges have been filed under section 345 of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to NDTV, Deputy SP (ST-SC) cell Mina Meena stated, “She refused to strip and after recording the statement in the court on March 30, she registered a complaint against the magistrate.” A case has been registered with Kotwali Police Station under charges of outraging modesty on March 27.

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Three incidents of violence against Dalits since March 26, two against minors, one against elderly woman

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In two of these incidents, Dalit students were the victims while in the third incident, an elderly Dalit woman had to suffer brutal physical abuse after her goats strayed into the field of another. These incidents of violence have sparked an uproar amongst people.

These caste-based incidents of violence underscore the persistent discrimination and violence faced by Dalits in the state of Uttar Pradesh, currently being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party government. One should also note that the state of Uttar Pradesh has continuously topped the NCRB list of states where anti-Dalit instances are prevalent. After these three incidents, we have also provided an overview of the anti-Dalit incidents that have emerged in the state since the beginning of the current year.

Anti-Dalit Crimes (March 26-April 3, 2024)

Assault of minor Dalit student:

On April 2, reports of a minor Dalit student being beaten up for not touching the feet of the teacher emerged. As per a report of The Mooknayak, in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Class VI Dalit student was beaten up by the teacher at a government primary school, namely Murarpur Primary School, for not touching his feet. It had been alleged that the teacher also used caste-related slurs while physically abusing the minor child. Notably, the teacher, Ravi Shankar Pandey, beat the student for not touching his feet as a mark of respect.

The report states that a case has been filed against the accused teacher in the Uruva police station of ​​Gorakhpur district under the Scheduled Caste-Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act and other related sections in the assault case. The complaint in the present matter had been made by the family members of the minor victim.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jitendra Kumar stated to The Mooknayak that a case has been registered based on the complaint and the police is investigating. Action will be taken on the basis of investigation and evidence. It is essential to note that the accused teacher has reportedly been absconding since the incident.

Assault of Dalit elderly woman:

On March 31, a video showing a man beating up a woman with a stick started doing rounds on social media. The abuser can be seen brutally thrashing and slapping the woman. It is also essential to highlight here that the abuser can be heard hurling casteist slurs at her. The video had been uploaded on the ‘X’ profile of The Dalit Voice and can be accessed below.

#Horrible A 60-year-old Dalit woman was brutally beaten after her goat strayed into a field. The owner of the field beat the woman with a stick and hurled abuses at her. The incident happened in UP’s Bulandshahar… pic.twitter.com/Mj2p5IB0hM

— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) March 31, 2024

As per a report in the Siasat, the woman in the video is a Dalit woman of 60. As provided in the report, she was subjected to brutality when her goat accidentally strayed into the latter’s fields. The incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar region.

As per the media report, the state police have registered a case into the incident under the SC/ST Act and has assured of strict action against the abuser.

Bullet injuries to minor Dalit student:

On March 26, a clash was reported to have taken place between two groups in Silai Baragaon village in Milak area over the installation of a hoarding with a picture of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. As per a report in the Siasat, during the said conflict, a 17-year-old Dalit boy named Sumesh Kumar received bullet injuries. These injuries ultimately led to his death. It is essential to note that the minor deceased child was returning home after writing his Class 10 examination.

Uttar Pradesh and increasing caste-based violence:

As per the ‘Crime in India, 2022’ report published by the National Crime Records Bureau, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, atrocities against Dalits increased manifold in 2022 from the previous years. The report, which also provides the state-wise data of Dalit atrocities, also depicted that the state of Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of atrocities. As per the report, a total of 15,368 cases of crimes against Dalits were reported in 2022. It is essential to note that the figures of Uttar Pradesh accounts for roughly 28% of the crimes committed against Dalit from all over the country as a total 57,428 crimes were reported to have been committed against Dalits in 2022.

It is essential to highlight here that with 15,368 total cases having been registered in the state, bringing the daily tally of atrocity cases to 40.

Anti-Dalit atrocities reported from Uttar Pradesh since 2024:

In the beginning of January, a 25-year-old Dalit woman found raped and strangled allegedly at the hands of a 27-year-old police constable, who is now identified as Raghvendra Singh, in Agra. The victim’s dead body was recovered from the room the constable had rented, hanging from the ceiling of Singh’s room.

A separate incident was reported after the Republic Day function at Sardar Singh Inter College in Narauli town, two students reportedly assaulted and beat up a Dalit student who had finished his speech on Dr BR Ambedkar with the chant ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’. The said incident was reported from Narauli area of UP.

Another horrifying incident of violence against woman was also reported from UP’s Baghpat area in the same month with an 18-year-old Dalit woman being pushed into a cauldron of scalding hot oil. It is essential to note that she was protesting sexual harassment that she had faced when the owner of the oil mill she was working work at pushed her into the cauldron with the help of two other people.

In March, a brutal incident of Dalit atrocity was reported from Muzaffarnagar district in western Uttar Pradesh. As per the report of The Mooknayak, a 21-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death after being held hostage over a “love affair” in the Khatauli block of. The police had identified the victim as Ankit. Ankit was allegedly having an affair with a 30-year-old married woman belonging to the same village but of a different caste. The deceased was beaten to death after being held hostage.

Congress slams UP government, calls the state an “anti-Dalit haven”:

In December 2023, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had termed the NCRB report to be BJP’s “black letter”, depicting the unsafety that surrounds the marginalised community of. Kharge also added that injustice, atrocities, and repression are part of the BJP’s decade-long agenda of dividing society.

After the aforementioned three cases of caste-based atrocities came to light, Congress national general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that Uttar Pradesh had become a “haven for lawlessness and anti-Dalit hate crime.” Attacking the Yogi Adityanath BJP-state government, Ramesh coined the ruling government to be a ‘double anyay’ sarkar. As per a report of Siasat, Ramesh said “In this Anyay-kaal, the only real slogan that the BJP adheres to is Sabka soshan, Sabka utpeedan (everyone’s exploitation, atrocities on everyone)”.

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The victim is a 17 year old tenth-grade student, was busy with creating reels at Ajmer’s Ana Sagar Chaupaati, a popular place for tourists and visitors, when he was attacked. A group of young men approached him and demanded he stop taking the reels. Following which, the men who have been identified as Pushpendra, Rohit, and Gokul, assaulted the boy brutally. They used sticks and forced him to kneel down, and made him utter the word “papa.” Furthermore, the torment did not end there; one of the perpetrators even urinated on the young victim and reportedly even forced him to drink liquor. One of the attackers was even reportedly recording the very video that has now gone viral.

A formal police complaint has been filed at Ajmer’s Christian Ganj police station. In the complaint, according to a report by ETV, the victim has stated that he was harmlessly making reels when he encountered these two men who tried to stop him from making reels. As the assault began, the two attackers were reportedly joined by other youth who beat the boy with rods and sticks. They even threatened to kill him if he were to report the incident to the police.  The victim has also stated that they hurled caste based slurs at him.

The police have reportedly filed a case against the suspects based on the complaint under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police station-incharge has told ETV, that the accused will be arrested soon. On January 29, the family of the boy met the ASP of Ajmer, Mahmood Khan and presented him with the complaint.

It is to be of note that Rajasthan features among the states in India that have the highest reported incidents of crimes against Dalits. According to a report by Sabrang India, Rajasthan ranks the third all of India, with 14 % of the total incidents of violence against Dalits reported in India stemming from the north Indian state.

In recent news from the state, it was reported by The Mooknayak, that funds donated by Dalits for the Ram Temple inauguration were rejected. The publication reported that Dalits in Mundla village were initially invited to take part in the celebrations which involved processions, kalash yatras, and the distribution of prasad. However, what was intended as a festive occasion turned out to become exclusive and discriminatory for the Dalit community.  It was then declared that funds from the Dalit community would not be used for these activities.  This has resulted in a formal complaint being lodged with the Jhalawar district administration where the complainants have accused the organisers of bias and discrimination. According to The Mooknayak, they spoke to one of the residents of Mundla, Mukesh Meghwal, who stated that their money was returned and they were told it was returned because it was “impure”, and he also stated that they were subjected to caste based slurs.

In September 2023, according to a report by The Hindu, Dalit groups unveiled a manifesto prior to the then upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan during a month-long yatra across the state by Anusuchit Jati Adhikar Abhiyan. They demanded the need to declare certain areas prone to atrocities within the newly formed 19 districts of the state. According to the report, Bhanwar Meghwanshi, a prominent Dalit activist, stated that activists should conduct a “social screening” of candidates fielded by various political parties to check if they have conducted any atrocities against Dalits.

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On July 14, a First Information Report (FIR), based on the complaint made by Parul Khodabhai Parmar (60), was filed at Chuda police station in Surendranagar district. The perpetrators of this horrible act were identified by Parul in her complaint as Amra Khachar, Amra’s brother Nagbhai, Amra’s sons Jilu alias Ghugha and Manglu, Bhikhu Khacahar, one Bhanbhai of Samadhiyala village, and a mob of 12 to 15 people.

Details of the incident based on the FIR filed:

On July 12, at around 4 p.m., in Samadhiyala village in Chuda taluka, Surendranagar district, the accused assaulted four members of a Dalit family and a tractor driver, also a Dalit, who had been hired by them. The FIR was filed several hours later. Premji Parmar, a local of Chuda’s Samadhiyala village, was listed as the owner of land there in the FIR. However, his four sons, Khodabhai, Aaljibhai, Amrutbhai and Manoj had moved out of the village around forty years ago and settled in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar cities.

The 60-year-old Parul, the widow of Aalji’s older brother Khodabhai, claimed in her complaint that the accused, Kathi Darbars, had been attempting to take the Parmar family’s land for a long time and had been threatening the Dalit family, which had resulted in legal action. On the victim’s property on Wednesday night, Kathi Darbars—Kashtriyas who are also designated as Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in Gujarat—attacked Parul, Aalji, Shanta, Manoj, and Nandini. It is essential to note here that in the state of Gujarat, Dalit’s are given a position considerably lower on the socioeconomic scale than the Kathi Darbars.

The five family members and Dalpat Parmar, a tractor driver from the Tuva village that the family had hired for tilling operations, were attempting to leave their farm and return to Ahmedabad on Thursday after tilling it between 10 AM and 4 PM when the accused rushed in and told the Dalit’s to leave, claiming the land belonged to them. The accused began by smashing the Dalit family’s car before indiscriminately and mercilessly attacking the Dalit’s with rods and scythes. It has also been provided in the FIR that in order to build a barbed wire fence around their farm, Aaljibhai and Manoj were carrying Rs. 1 lakh in cash apiece, which was also stolen by the accused.

Furthermore, the assailants also vandalised CCTV cameras installed on the farm, snatched away victims’ phones and threw chilli powder in Nandini’s eyes, as per the report of the Indian Express.

According to the FIR, Dalpat somehow managed to dial emergency services and called three ambulances to Samadhiyala even as Nandini managed to dial 100 and sought police help.

The injured were rushed to a hospital in Surendranagar town where Aaljibhai and Manoj succumbed to their injuries, police said, as per the report of the Indian Express.

Sections used in the FIR filed:

As reported by the Indian Expressed, based on Parul’s complaint, Chuda police has now booked the six and the mob under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 (murder), 306 (dacoity with murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 335 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt on provocation), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). The following IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting by persons armed with deadly weapons), 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly to be treated as guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) were also used by the police against the accused in the said FIR. Additionally, the accused have also been booked under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for subjecting members of the Scheduled Caste to atrocities.

As reported by the Indian Express, Haresh Dudhat, superintendent of police of Surendranagar said that “We have registered an FIR in connection with the double murders. Accused are on the run presently but efforts are being made to name them.”

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The post Gujarat: Family of Dalits attacked by six men belonging to the Kshatriya community, leaves 2 dead, 4 injured appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A deeply shocking video has emerged on social media platforms, showcasing a distressing incident that occurred in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar city. The footage shows a man stripped naked and brutally thrashed by a group of men who accused him of theft. The incident has sparked outrage and shed light on the prevalence of vigilantism and mob violence in the region.

In the video, the vulnerable victim is seen slumped against a wall while his clothes lie scattered beside him. The assailants, armed with pieces of pipes, repeatedly strike his hands, inflicting pain and further humiliation. The inhumane act highlights the deplorable state of law and order, as well as the need for swift action to address the issue.

Local authorities have been alerted to the video, and it is hoped that a thorough investigation will be carried out to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Dalit Man Forced to Lick Slippers in Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh

Another distressing incident has come to light, this time in a village located in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh. A viral video captures a local electrical lineman mercilessly beating a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his footwear. The shocking act of humiliation has reignited the discussion around caste-based discrimination and the urgent need for social reforms.

The accused, identified as Patel, a contractual lineman in the Shahganj area of Sonbhadra district, was promptly arrested following the filing of a complaint by the victim, a member of the Dalit community. The incident has prompted authorities to take immediate action, with a case being registered against the perpetrator at the Shahganj police station.

These reprehensible acts of violence underscore the deep-rooted social prejudices that persist in Indian society. They expose the vulnerability of Dalits and members of other marginalised communities are situated in and the urgent need for comprehensive measures to eradicate caste-based discrimination and ensure equality and justice for all.

Tragic Suicide of a 17-Year-Old Dalit Girl in Barabanki District, Uttar Pradesh

In a heart-wrenching incident, a 17-year-old Dalit girl from Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, took her own life. Reports suggest that the police’s alleged pressure on her family to settle a rape complaint they had filed against a neighbour, coupled with threats made by the accused, pushed her to such a tragic step.

Authorities have confirmed that the accused, also a member of the Dalit community, was injured during an altercation with the police. He had reportedly fired at the officers while being apprehended for the recovery of a buried weapon. Sub-inspector Yogendra Singh, the investigation officer responsible for the case, has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry into possible negligence.

The Baranki Police tweeted the following video of Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Singh stating on camera that the necessary investigation will continue.

थाना हैदरगढ़ क्षेत्रान्तर्गत ग्राम बेहटा में एक बालिका द्वारा फांसी लगाकर आत्महत्या कर लेने के सम्बन्ध में पुलिस अधीक्षक बाराबंकी श्री दिनेश कुमार सिंह की बाइट-#barabankipolice#uppolice@Uppolice @adgzonelucknow @igrangeayodhya pic.twitter.com/Tgt84tdUQd

— Barabanki Police (@Barabankipolice) June 22, 2023

Dalit atrocities becoming the norm?  

According to the 2021 NCRB report, there was a stark 1.2% increase in crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) in 2021 compared to 2020. The total number of cases rose from 50,291 to 50,900.

Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have the worst track record with cases related to violence against Dalits. In fact, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases at 13,146, accounting for 25.82% of the total. Rajasthan had 7,524 cases (14.7%), followed by Madhya Pradesh with 7,214 cases (14.1%). Bihar and Odisha reported 5,842 (11.4%) and 2,327 (4.5%) cases, respectively. These five states accounted for most of the cases i.e., 70.8% of all cases of atrocities against SCs.

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A series of atrocities committed against the Dalit community have made national headlines this April. Ironically this is also the month that we dedicate to celebrating Dalit history. “Honour” killings, caste-based intolerance leading to murders, rapes, and even enforced “penance” are only a few instances of these incidents. In many cases, the perpetrators were apprehended, compensation was announced, and outrage was registered by all. Such incidents, however, are just a drop in the bucket compared to the violence and oppression that Dalits continue to face in India.

The situation has deteriorated to the point where every day serves as a reminder of how caste oppression is systemic and woven into the fabric of Indian society, some of which is exacerbated by government negligence or even complicity, given that state and law enforcement structures are heavily influenced by a bias towards more privileged sections.

Although the month of April is celebrated as Dalit History Month, a month which is significant for Dalit communities because the month marks the birth and death anniversaries of significant Dalit leaders and social reformers who participated/led movement against systemic discrimination, with Dr. Bhim Rao (Babasaheb) Ambedkar birth anniversary on April 14, Jyotirao Phule’s birth anniversary on  April 11 and Mangu Ram Mugowalia’s death Anniversary on April 22, there has been no let up in the targeted violence.

How much has the condition of Dalits in the country really improved in 2023?

The incidents

Rajasthan:

The death of a Dalit man, who was allegedly killed by a group of persons from the privileged castes people in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, has resulted in some widespread outrage. The political class is however relatively silent while civil rights groups have spoken up.

On April 13, Kojaram, aged 40, was killed around 10 in morning, in Barmer’s Asadi village over a six-year-long land dispute. The killing was protracted and brutal, tortuous. Significantly, the victim, now dead, had filed nine cases of harassment over the years pointing to assault, encroachment, and disputes with the police. In four of these cases, charge sheets had also been filed, and the accused has previously been imprisoned, (India Today). Despite this he had to lose his life to a violent attack!

According to the report filed at the Girab police station after Kojaram’s death by his son Indra Kumar, Kojaram had left for the farm around 7:30 a.m. with his two daughters – Mamta and Jhamu – to take the goats to the field, when they were attacked by a group of about 16 people wielding sharp weapons.

According to NDTV, the accused kidnapped the victim’s two daughters and threatened them. It is also being alleged that a video made rounds on social media where an injured Kojaram was seen screaming for help with his daughters.

According to the police report, two people – Sadularam and Chagu Devi – rushed out of their homes to save Kojaram, but the attackers stopped them and threatened to kill them if they tried to help the victim. Sadularam had then subsequently informed the police and, with help from others, put Kojaram in a car and took him to the Barmer hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. 

According to senior police authorities, after attacking Kojaram, the suspects went to his home and told family members they had killed him before fleeing, reported News24. According to India Today, the assailants from the privileged castes have been identified as Narendra Singh, Jitendra Singh, Ravindra Singh, Raipal Singh, Gulab Singh, Mahendra Singh, Vikram Singh, Khim Singh, Bihari Singh, Jograj Singh, Devi Singh, Sadul Singh, Sawai Singh, Nakhat Singh, Ram Singh and Dev Kanwar’s wife Gulab Singh.

Narendra Singh and Vikram Singh had allegedly abused Kojaram’s wife while he and his family were having dinner on March 14 around 1:30 a.m., according to a previous complaint filed by Kojaram on March 15. According to the complaint, the accused brought a tractor and threatened not to leave without killing Kojaram. The police had allegedly registered the complaint but did not take any action. Kojaram had expressed concern about an unfavorable incident happening to him.

Family members have claimed that they had often alerted authorities about the dangers they faced, but callously, no action was taken. It is also being alleged that there was no land dispute other than the fact that Kojaram, a Dalit man, was living across the house of a Rajput family. Caste discrimination and intolerance cost Kojaram his life, including ignorance shown by the authorities. Kojaram’s family is now protesting the murder and demanding jobs for two members as well as Rs 1 crore in compensation.

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राजस्थान: एक और जातिगत हत्या!

बाड़मेर में एक SC मजदूर कोजाराम मेघवाल की लोहे की रॉड से पीटकर हत्या कर दी गई। इस हत्या के पीछे पुलिस की उदासीनता भी जिम्मेदार है।

चूंकि हत्यारे राजपूत हैं। अतः पीड़ित की अनेकों शिकायतों के बावजूद भी पुलिस मूकदर्शक बनी रही।
pic.twitter.com/wCFc4cxKbB

— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) April 12, 2023

Before this incident, another incident of caste based atrocity against a Dalit woman was reported from Pachpadra police station area of the Barmer district of Rajasthan. On April 6, a Dalit woman was raped and set afire. She died during treatment at a government hospital in Jodhpur. The 44-year-old woman had suffered around 50 per cent burn injuries due to a highly inflammatory chemical that was thrown at her. The woman was initially admitted to Nahata hospital in Balotra for treatment but was later referred to Jodhpur as her condition worsened, as reported by India Today. On April 9, the Dalit woman died of burn injuries during treatment. 

According to media reports, the family of the Dalit woman had staged a protest outside the mortuary hospital for more than 18 hours demanding justice, before agreeing for a postmortem. The relatives of the woman also alleged that the police hesitated to register the case initially. The Dalit community had protested over the incident and demanded the family should get Rs 1 crore compensation, a government job and capital punishment for the accused. After getting assurance from the district administration of getting their relevant demands were completed, the family members ended their protest and agreed for postmortem.

According to police, the woman in her complaint stated that 30-year-old Shakoor Khan, her neighbor, had trespassed her house and raped her. After the incident, when the accused felt that the woman would reveal his identity, the accused threw thinner on the woman, set her afire and fled the spot.

On April 7, the police had registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and detained Shakoor Khan. The accused was initially booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 450 (house-trespass to commit offence), and some sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. But later the sections of murder under IPC Section 302 were also added to the FIR.

Uttar Pradesh:

A group of property dealers allegedly attacked a Dalit man in Lucknow’s Indira Nagar in order to stop him from selling his land. According to the police, the accused also made casteist remarks and demanded extortion from him, reports Siasat Daily.

According to other media reports, Deen Dayal of Rasoolpur Sadat village in Indira Nagar sold his land to one Vishal Yadav, and the sale deed was recently registered at the Bakshi Ka Talab registrar’s office. Several days later, Deen Dayal and Vishal went to the field to show him the land, where they were met by property dealers Abhijeet Vishen, Pawan Yadav, Anand, and 5-6 unidentified people.

According to the victim’s account, the accused surrounded them and called them by their caste in a derogatory way, enraged that the victim had dared to sell the land without paying extortion to the accused. “After that, they opened fire on us. I was fortunate to escape the bullets. They then attacked us with bricks, injuring both me and Vishal. The miscreants fled the scene, warning us not to return to the land,” the victim stated.

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A group of youths, working as property dealers, allegedly attacked a Dalit man here to stop him from selling his land. They hurled casteist remarks and demanding extortion from him in Lucknow’s Indira Nagar, the police said…https://t.co/fzKpw5ZVZQ

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) April 13, 2023

In yet another instance of caste-based discrimination, the owner of a marriage hall has been charged for allegedly canceling a reservation after learning that the groom was a Dalit. Raees Abbasi, the owner of the hall, denied the allegations, while police assured the family that the wedding would take place at the venue.

As reported by the Republicworld, Circle Officer of the area, Ruchita Chaudhary, informed that Jaideep, who had had booked the hall of Raees Abbasi for the marriage of his sister, had filed a complaint in the said incident. In his complaint, it was provided that “Jaideep had booked the hall of Raees Abbasi for the marriage of his sister scheduled for April 9. When Abbasi came to know that the groom is a Valmiki (Scheduled Caste community), he informed me that the reservation has been cancelled and I should look for another venue,”

However, Abbasi said he did not cancel the booking but was averse to the cooking of non-vegetarian food at the venue. “I only opposed the cooking of non-vegetarian food at the venue. I neither said any caste-related thing to anyone nor was the booking cancelled,” he had told PTI.

Hyderabad:

On April 9, an incident of “honour” killing was reported, in which a Dalit youth was stabbed to death by his girlfriend’s relatives due to caste differences. The incident occurred in Nalgonda’s Nidamanur mandal. Irigi Naveen, 21, of Tripuraram Mandal’s Annaram village, was identified as the deceased.

According to the police, the girl’s relatives murdered Naveen when he approached them with a marriage proposal. According to ETV Bharat, Miryalaguda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Venkatagiri, Naveen fell in love with a girl from the same village four years ago.

Both families were opposed to the relationship because the young couple belonged to different castes. It has been claimed that Naveen consumed poison prior to the attack, after the girl’s family had objected to their relationship, for which he was hospitalised. Following this, the girl’s relatives Navadeep, Manideep, and Shivprasad threatened to kill Naveen if he met her again.

On Sunday, the day of the killing, Naveen and his friend, Eta Anil of Annaram village, had traveled to Palvai Tirumal of Guntipalli in Nidamanur Mandal to meet with the girl’s family and persuade them to accept their marriage proposal. Thirumal, Naveen’s friend, had also called the girl’s family to talk. Post this, around nine people with sharp weapons arrived at the spot on three two-wheelers and attacked Naveen and his friends. 

Anil and Thirumal managed to flee while the bike-riding miscreants brutally thrashed Naveen and stabbed him in the chest and stomach with sharp weapons, according to DSP Venkatagiri. Naveen died on the spot before anyone could come to his aid. The miscreants fled the scene. Based on Anil’s complaint, a case has been filed against the girl’s family members, and the police have begun an investigation to apprehend the accused. According to ETV Bharat, Halia Circle Inspector Gandhi Naik and Nidamanur Sub Inspector Shobhan Babu are leading the investigation.

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तेलंगाना : प्रेम करने की दलित युवक को मिली सज़ा, जातियाँ अलग होने की वजह से लड़की के परिवार वालों ने चाकुओं से गोदकर की हत्या@TelanganaCOPs https://t.co/FL3ImPaXo8 pic.twitter.com/5K06JHtkyY

— Dalit Times | दलित टाइम्स (@DalitTime) April 10, 2023

West Bengal:

On April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti, seven days after three tribal women were forced to crawl and perform the “Dandavat Parikrama” in Balurghat, police have arrested two people under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, among other provisions. According to reports in The Indian Express, amongst those arrested are Biswanath Das, an aide of Paradipta Chakraborty, former district Mahila Trinamool Congress, who was arrested a day after the incident; and Ananda Roy, general secretary of Balurghat Town Trinamool Youth Congress. Roy also works as a contract employee for the Balurghat Municipality.

On April 6, the local BJP unit held a program in which it claimed that over 100 people, mostly women, had joined them. A next day, on Good Friday, the three women had allegedly crawled from close to the BJP’s local office to the TMC’s district headquarters. According to the Indian Express, the three tribal women – Martina Kisku, Thakran Soren, and Shiuli Mardi – seen crawling in a 27-second video purportedly from the BJP to the TMC office in Balurghat as “penance” for joining the BJP, said they were never with the BJP.

Pradipta Chakraborty, president of the district TMC women’s wing, told the media the same day that the three women had been duped into joining the BJP and had performed the “parikrama” as “penance” before rejoining the TMC.

The act was captured on camera, causing widespread outrage. Sajal Ghosh, public prosecutor at Balurghat district court has provided that in the above mentioned case, two persons were arrested in this case (and) booked under IPC Sections 505 (incitement), 509 (insulting the modesty of women) and SC, ST Atrocities Act. It has been further provided that these accused were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody, and will be produced in court again on April 17.

According to the Indian Express, in addition to the above mentioned sections, section 3(1)(r) of SC and ST Atrocities Act, which deals with intentionally insulting or intimidating with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe in any place within public view, has been invoked.

Mrinal Sarkar, district TMC chief, spoke to the Indian Express and stated that “One of those arrested is in a party post. He will be removed soon. The police will take action against the guilty and will have to see that innocent people are not harassed in the case.”

Conclusion

Caste dynamics pervade every aspect of life in vast areas of India, and thought not exclusive to, are manifest more sharply in rural areas. An overall indifference among the political class and citizenry blunt the much needed outrage to this continuing systemic violence and exclusion. As can be seen from the cases reported in April 2023, the malaise cuts across regions and occurs in states governed by different political dispensations. Often the violence is heightened as more articulate sections among Dalits oppose oppressions and denial and demand basic rights. Incidents of brute violence by teachers within schools showcase the discrimination within schools, killings and rapes display the worst kind of manifest violence. The continued prevalence of manual scavenging, denial of access to public facilities such as public taps, temples, and burial grounds, the Indian Constitution’s guarantees of equality and liberation continue to be denied to India’s most depressed sections, the Dalits.

The incidents also demonstrate that there is a systemic non-accountability of the law and order machinery in our country, as well as widespread infringements on the Dalit community’s rights. The community’s constitutional guarantees of right to life, liberty, and dignity under Article 21 remain on paper, and their rights guaranteed under Articles 15 and 17, which prohibit caste discrimination and abolish untouchability, remain violated. Stringent sections of the Scheduled Caste and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 amended in 2015 also stand violated.

For any measure of state and societal accountability to be ensured, a political and executive will needs to be displayed. Combined with accountability from the judiciary and law enforcement machinery.

Related:

March 2023 Round up of attacks on Dalits

How long will Dalits and Adivasis students succumb to violent caste discrimination before effective measures are created?

Dalit MBBS female intern allegedly died by suicide due to caste discrimination

Dalit Sanitation Worker Dies by Suicide in Gram Panchayat Office in Telangana

Courts say, calling a person by caste name is not an offence: Explained

Manual Scavenging continues unabated, Indian Govts turns a deaf ear to acknowledge this systemic, extreme violence

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