Case in Brief:

Surekha was studying B.Com and had been working as receptionist in Bajaj Show Room in Mandapeta for one year.   She has two younger brothers Mahesh (19) and Manoj Kumar (16).  Her father Mohana Rao is an agricultural labor.  She travels on bicycle to office.  She usually returns home from office by 7:30 in the evening. 

On 6^th August 2008, Surekha’s parents were worried as she did not return even after 7:30 pm.  Vasamsetti Krishna is an auto driver and attends the same church where Surekha’s family attends.  At 8:30 pm, Krishna informed Mohana Rao that he has seen Surekha’s cycle lying down near the Christian grave yard. Immediately Surekha’s family members rushed to that place and saw her cycle lying near water tank located near the church.  As there was no power supply at that time, they started searching for her with the help of torch lights.  They found her lunch box and dupatta at a distance from the cycle.   They could not find her until the power supply has come after two hours. 

They found her near a sewerage canal few ft. away from the place where cycle is lying.  2 ft. height water was flowing in the canal.  She was lying on her back near the canal.  Her head was into the water.  Surekha’s family members did not notice that she is dead until they brought her into the light from darkness. 

No doubt was expressed by her parents on any one.  Her mother, Bujjamma informed that her daughter was wearing a gold chain, ear tops and ring which were not found after her death.  Father of the deceased informed that her daughter started speaking to her friend Sudha just one day before with whom she was not speaking since 2 years. 

Almost 30 girl students travel by this route and return back at 8:30 pm from tuitions.  Due to bad roads and darkness, they have often been facing problems.  Though this issue was brought to the concerned officials several times, no action was taken.  Now this incident has increased the anguish of the parents of girl students.

The brief fact of this case is that on 5-8-2008 the complainant was seating at his small shop at that time accused Shailesh Kesavlal Patel age about 28 years came their and told the victim that they are not getting water in their ward. Since the wife of the victim is member of that ward, the accused told the victim that “Tell your wife to make arrangement for water” and then he used bad words regarding the caste of the victim. It is pertinant to note that the victim belongs to schedule caste community and because of reservation his wife got elected as a member of ward.

The accused did not like a Dalit person becaming a member of a Panchayat. There for he abused the victim and insulated the victim. When he was told not to use bad words accused got angry and the victim was beaten up by the accused. There for the complainant file the complaint against the accused and the police registred the FIR under the section 323, 504 of IPC and Section 135 of BP Act and 3(1)10 of SC/ST Act. And after the trail the case of the victim was proved and the accused was convicted.

Case in Brief:

Bonthu Naga Lakshmi 25 years, SC by caste, D/o Bonthu Kondiah, resident of Indupalli Village was in love with Aadhi Narayana belonging to the same village, BC Settibalija by caste who was already married and has two children. He deceived Naga Laxmi by deceptive words saying that he was childless and was madly in love with her and wants to marry her. The victim believed him and stayed with him in Rajahmundry subsequently, they had a physical relationship in and got pregnancy which was forcibly aborted. When Naga Laxmi pressurized for marriage, he married her secretly and managed without a witness or a proof and later deserted her. When she approached Gram Sarpanch, he promised her that he will look into the matter and see that justice will be done. Naga Laxmi met Sarpanch frequently for 4 months but he did not take any action. So when she asked Sarpanch about the case, he slapped her and made her thrown out of his sight. Then she complained in Amalapuram police station and the case was registered baring cr.No:70/2008, U/s 32 IPC

Diseased Devanand Manjhi (32), a resident of Adlipur Neura Mushhari Tola, in Patna, hails from Scheduled Caste (Mushahar) community and professes Hindu religion was shot dead at his refusal to work in the field of landlord Dablu Singh, Naresh Singh, Shiv Kumar, the resident of Kusari village, PS- Bihta in Patna District, belonging to General Caste on 25.07.08 at about 10.00 am

The motive behind the crime is that a few days ago accused Dablu Singh had given Rs100/- to Devanand to work in his field. Since it was raining for few days, he could not go for working. On 25.07.08 the perpetrators saw him working in the farm of one of the villagers, so the assailants got angry and asked how dared he to work in the field of another person. They abused and threatened him to punish for it. The perpetrators took him by force along with them from the farm and asked him to bring wine for them.  After the wine is brought the accused started drinking, and also they gave acid mixed wine to Devanand and forced him to drink. But when the diseased tried to escape the accused caught and tied him and forced to drink only acid and finally shot him dead.

A few hours later, Ramashish Manjhi, the brother of diseased was told by villagers that Devanand has been killed and his body is lying in the field. Ramashish Manjhi reached the spot, some villagers, who were witness to this killing, informed him that Devanand has been killed by Singh who forced him to drink acid as punishment of not working in the farm. The diseased Devanand was first forced to drink acid by Singh and their henchmen. Then acid was poured on his bare body and later he was mercilessly shot dead at his refusal to work. Dhruv Kumar Singh, the officer in-charge of Bihta police station, reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem. On 26th July 2008 Jitendra Kumar Sinha –District Magistrate, Patna, Amit Kumar – SSP, Patna, Sunil Kumar – SDM, Randir Kumar – DWO Patna visited the spot.

This crime has been registered on 25.07.08, FIR No - 183/08 u/s 302, 34 IPC & SC/ST (PoA) 3(1) x, 3(2) v, but the perpetrator is not yet arrested. Victim received compensation Rs. 1,50,000/ - from District administration, Rs. 1,500/- Panchayat, Rs. 10,000/- from Ms Kanti Singh - Union Minister of State. Accused is not arrested yet.

Centre for Dalit Rights is a voluntary organization, working for Dalits in Different Parts of Rajasthan through intervention on cases of grave violations of Dalits and weaker sections. On 17^th July 2008, the State office of Centre For Dalit Rights received a complaint from Nathu lal S/o Ramsahay (Caste –Bairwa) r/o Village Padasoli, Police Station Bassi, Tehsil Bassi, District Jaipur about alleged  encroachment of his land and abuse by a Non- Dalit.

On 24^th July 2008, four  member team from Centre for Dalit Rights, Jaipur namely, Gopal Ram verma, Tara Chand Verma , Babulal Bairwa (Chakwara), and Vinod Choudhury   went for  fact finding of the instant case to village – Padasoli, Tehsil – Bassi , District –Jaipur about 3:30 pm . The Fact finding team reached to the village and met the victim Nathulal and his wife. When the team started talking to the victim suddenly, a mob of 40-50 miscreant persons from the same village came there and attacked the fact finding team.

Some people caught the members of the team and started beating Nathulal and his wife brutally in front of the team. The mob also threatened the victims to cut their hands and legs and to throw them on agricultural land. The perpetrators also snatched and damaged the digital camera of the team. The miscreants used abusive language and threatened the team members to run away from the place. They also threaten them to damage the vehicle of the team. One perpetrator brought a (Fawda) agricultural tool to threat the team members to kill them. The team tried to defend themselves by talking to the perpetrators and negotiating the situation.

The vice Sarpanch of the village Rameshwar Meena took out the team from the spot and asked them to go back. Meanwhile, the team member told Rameshwar that their digital camera has been snatched by the miscreants. Rameshwar went back to the spot and brought the camera back. The team found that the chip of the camera was taken out. The team narrowly escaped from the spot and returned to Jaipur.

The members of the fact finding team and also the representatives of the organization called the Station House Officer (SHO) of Bassi Police Station and informed the incident to take proper action but so far no action has been taken. This clearly proves the reluctant attitudes of the local Police Station for visiting the spot to get the FIR lodged and manage to send the injured person specially the wife of Nathulal for medical examination.