Sona Singh @ Sohana S/o Harchand Singh, Age-46 years, R/o Village-Kakar, Sub-division- Bhawanigarh District- Sangrur.  He belongs to Majhabi Sikh Caste which has been declared Scheduled Caste by the Punjab Government. Sona Singh @ Sohana Singh was working for Jeet Singh S/o Bachan Dass belongs to Jat Sikh community & residence of Village-Kakar, Sub-division- Bhawanigarh  District- Sangrur  as agriculture labourer called “Siri” from last 20 years back(since 1992). Sona Singh @ Sohana was engaged in work by advancing bonded debt Rs.10, 000 (Ten thousand rupees) by Jeet Singh.  Sona Singh @ Sohana used that advance for his marriage.  The employer fixed his salary in first year Rs.15000 but the employer never paid his earns wages.  Sona Singh @ Sohana was servant on call & back. The employer was providing him food. He made to work continuously for long hours. When employer gave him debt advance, he took Sona Singh’s signature which was not known by Sona. Since Sona singh is illegareal so he was not aware about the papers in which he signed. Jeet Singh did not allow him to go home. Sona Singh @Sohana Wife also left him because he never came home. The employer & his son Sukhi were also abused and beaten him. Sona Singh @ Sohana ran away from the Punjab. He lived in UttarPardesh for 10 years. When he came back his house, the employer and his son demands the bonded debt amount Rs.10,000/- .On 18/3/2012 the bonded labour came back from Uttar pardesh. The employer filed a false complaint against the bonded labour. The Police of Police station Bhawnigarh arrest him and demanding the bonded debt from the bonded labourer. DDVA filed a complaint to District Magistrate Sangrur on 29/03/2012 to release and rehabilitate the bonded labour. Sona Singh@ Sohana now is living in his own village. He is free from bonded debt but nothing any appropriate action against the culprit to take bonded labour and dispossess Sona Singh from his village for a long time. 

Diseased Mawashiram (50) s/o PravatiRam is the resident of Berka village, P.O. Aruwa under Kathumar police station in Alwar Dist. belongs to Scheduled Caste (Jatav) community. On incident day 26 Nov, 2012 some people of the village were playing the playing card opposite to the shop of Bhim Singh, the neighbor of Mawashiram.

A quarrel was picked up between Babli Jatav and Jitendra Jat s/o Badan while playing the card. On seeing that Mawashiram, went over there and tried to solve the problem; however Jitendra Jat did not like when Mawashiram intervened in their dispute, so he brutally attacked Mawashiram and left him with several injuries on his body. Jitendra Jat also got hurt in the scuffle.

Both the parties, lodged complaint in the Kathumar police station, but the police did not register the complaint of the victim where as the police register a case against the victims immediately because the Jat community is more influential in the area. Thus an enmity between Mawashiram and Jitendra Jat grew up.

After some days, on 15 Feb, 2012, Mawashiram went to Kathumar village to bring some grocery items. After having purchased, he went to Kathumar bus stop to catch bus for his place. Meantime, the assailant Jitendra Jat (20) s/o Badan,  Janak (37) s/o Ramjilal, Arun (20) s/o Janak, Badan s/o Ramjilal and others, belonging to Jat community saw Mawashiram standing there. Taking the advantage they brutally attacked him and left him half dead.

Mawashiram declared dead while he was under treatment in the Hospital. The victim’s family lodge complaint in the Kathumar police station on 16 Feb, 2012. A criminal case was registered against murderers No.60/12, u/s 147,302 IPC & 3(2)(v) of SC/ST (PoA) Act.

The main accused has been arrested and languishing in the jail but other co-accuseds are still on run. The case is under investigation.  The perpetrators threat the victim’s family to kill them, so the family is living under threat. 

Baldev Singh(70 years) S/o Joginder Singh Village-Umarpura new Abaddi, Tehsil- Batala Distt- Gurdaspur. He belongs to Mazabhi Sikh caste. He and his family members were employed with M/s. Bajwa Brick kiln village-khoti malwa Distt- Gurdaspur. The jamadar named Deso from Village- Umarpura, Distt-Gurdaspur brought them at the Brick kiln. Brick kiln owners gave advance Rs.10,000/- to him and they started to work as brick molders called “Pathera” at the brick factory. Baldev Singh & his family members mould 3000 brick in a day. Brick kiln owner Lalli Sarpanch gave them only Rs.1000 to 1500/- after eight days.

On 15/2/2011 they asked the munshi of the brick kiln about their bricks which they mould. Brick kiln owner & Munshi ,abusing and beaten them after that brick kiln owner snatch his mobile & his motor bike No PB-38 A4426 (TVS star City). Brick kiln owners not paid their wages and not allow them to go anywhere else for work. Brick kiln owner are threatening the workers that without paying the bonded debt they will not allow them to go anywhere and their households will not give to them. Now workers do not want to work on the brick factory because the employers of the brick factory were not paying their wages, and demanding debt amounts and do not allow them to work anywhere else. The complaint was sent to District Magistrate Gurdaspur  & Labour Commissioner Punjab . They all are free from bonded labour system

The accused are in to real estate business, they are dominant in the village so people are afraid of them. Victim has ¼ acre of land on the road side. The land behind the victim’s land is bought by the accused. So they are putting pressure on the victim to sell the land so they can sell their land with higher price. When the victim did not agree to sell his land, they were trying occupying the land forcefully; in fact they had occupied 4d land forcefully. When the victim objects to that illegal land acquisition he was abused, beaten and threatened to death.

Legal Standard Breached:

1.       Everyone has the right of life, liberty and security of person [Art. 3 UDHR and Art. 5(b) CERD].
2.       General recommendation 19 of CEDAW relates to gender-based violence and recommends amongst other things that states should take all legal and other measures that are necessary to provide effective protection of women against gender-based violence including effective legal measures (including penal sanctions), preventive measures (including public information and education programs) and protective measures.