Geeta Devi w/o Sukha resident of village-Talwandi Nepalan Tehsil- Zira District- Firezopur. Geeta Devi belongs to “Majhabi Sikh” caste which is declared a scheduled caste by Government of Punjab.

Gita Devi & her husband Sukha has been working since August 2011 on M/S Kishan Brick Factory, Village- Mojewala, tehsil-Zira, district- Firozpur. The Owner of the brick factory is Mr. Mukhtiar Singh who is residing in Zira city of Firozpur district. Geeta Rani & her husband were recruited by Jamadaar Shingara Singh who belongs to Village- Kutbiwala, tehsil & District- Firozpur. Gita & her husband were living on the above said Brick Factory with their three children one son and two daughters named Komal (7 years), Vanshdeep (3 years) & Riya (two years.).  The brick factory management advanced the workers Rs. 30,000/- at the time of engaging them. The advance money obtained was paid to Pargat Singh S/o Dhiyana singh who is residence of village-Talwandi Nepalan to buy freedom as Sukha was a “Seri” with this agriculturist. Sukha was a bonded labourer with pargat Singh for three years. Gita Devi and his husband were employed as raw Brick Molder, in vernacular called “Pathera” in the brick factory. The employer Mukhtiar Singh used to pay both the workers only Rs 1,000(Rupees one thousand) fortnightly. In January 2012 Mukhtiar singh stopped to pay their fortnightly petty expenses to Gita  and her husband. They could not been able to buy food for themselves.

They were facing starvation and Gita Devi and her children get sick due to starvation. When Gita & her husband demanded their wages from Mukhtiar Singh & Jamadar Shingara Singh then they beaten Gita Devi & her husband with sticks, they demolished the ” Jhugi”(thatch hut) and threatened  Gita Devi & her husband  that if they demand their wages in the future they will be handed over to police, because Mukhtiar Singh was not paying the earn wages of Gita Devi & her husband & they were facing starvation at the brick factory and their children were sick so they deserted secretly  from the brick factory on an early morning of 25/01/012 but due to the fear of Mukhtiar Singh &

Jamadar Shingara Singh they could not carry their households (Utensils, Apparels, One Air cooler, 4 beddings, One iron box to kept the clothes, One Scooter (Color-white, Company- Bajaj) One shackle, One Rehdi and one table fan ) with them, which are still in the custody of Mukhtiar Singh & Jamadar Shingara Singh. That now Mukhtiar Singh is demanding Rs. 50,000 (Rupees Fifty thousand) as a debt amount. Mukhtiar Singh & Jamadar Shinagar Singh is threatening Gita Devi & her husband that if they will not pay the debt amount then they will implicate his husband in a false police case. Mukhtiar Singh & Jamadar Shingara Singh is demanding the debt advance along with interest from Gita Devi & her husband, whereas the employer has withheld the earned wages of both the workmen.

The village named Rethal of Ta- Sanand, District Ahmedabad consists of a population of approximately 4500. The village has got the facilities of primary and secondary schools and also a primary health centre. There are four Angdvadies in the village out of one is separate for Dalits. The deputy Sarpanch of the village belongs to Dalit community. Even today the practice of …….. The dominant class includes Darbar, Kodi Patel and Rajput. The work of pulling dead bodies of animals are being done by Dalit community namely Valmiki. There are roughly more than hundred families of Dalit community that includes Rohi, Senva, Valmiki and Sadhu. There are other communities like Raval, Valand etc. but they are very few in numbers.

Atulbhai, resident of village Rethal, Ta- Sanand, District Ahmedabad belongs to scheduled caste. The accused namely Yuvraj Singh, Bharat Balsingh, Jabbar, Suresh Jaga, Dhiru are also belonging to the same village. The complainant of the present case is Manubhai Valjibhai Rathod who is driving auto rickshaw for his livelihood. On 30-12-11 the accused Yuvraj Singh came with four Wheeler (Safari) and parked on the middle of the road, when he was asked by Manubhai to make the place for auto rickshaw to go, he started abusing him and Manubhai was beaten up, then he was taken to the hospital. There are complaints against Yuvraj Singh and others registered in the police station for example, I.Cri. Reg. No. 20/12, II. Cri. Reg. No. 207/11 etc. but in spite the number of complaints the accused were never arrested.

It is this in action of police the accused were became fearless and on 24/01/12 at around 6-30 PM when Manubhai was coming with his auto the aforesaid accused persons came with weapons and attacked him. The news was reached to the street regarding that therefore Atulbhai, Ishwarbhai came running to save Manubhai at that time Yuvraj Singh attacked Atulbhai and he was seriously injured and thereafter he was taken to the hospital where the doctor declared him dead. The other victims are Ishwarbhai Khodabhai Rathod, Khodabhai Bababhai Rathod, Rameshbhai Chehubhai Rathod and Manubhai Valjibhai Rathod, they are injured among these Manubhai Valjibhai Rathod is the complainant.

Case in Brief:

Cholai, resident of Arunthathiyar Street, Neikuppam, Velaanthal, Thiruvannamalai district, belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community. He is a daily wage labour. His wife name is Lurdhu Mary and he has two sons. On 19/01/2012, 9pm while Cholai was sitting in the varanda infront of his house, Patchaiappan, Thirunavukkarasu, Ponnusamy, Ramu, Thimmali and Shenmugam, who came along the way, on seeing Cholai sitting on the varanda, shouted at him saying, “you sakkili dog how dare you remain sitting while we walking on the street. They the mob brutally assaulted him for not giving respect while they are walking through the street. On hearing the cry of her husband, Lurdhu Mary came out of the house and questioned them for the assault. The infuriated mob, who could not tolerate the assertion of Dalit verbally abused her. Patchaippan asked his associates to rape her saying, “rape the sakkili dog, and teach them a lesson, then only they know about our superiority”. Four of the perpetrators get inside the house and pushed her to the ground. As two of them hold her legs and hands, then the other one removed her clothes and raped her. Mary cried for help. Then the perpetrators broke opened the bureau and stolen Rs. 10000 and also the mob took away the Color Television Box. Hence Mary and Cholai, went to the Vettavalam Police Station and reported the atrocity commissioned on them by the caste hindu perpetrators. But the police officials who were negligent and biased in favour of the perpetrators asked them to come tomorrow without considering the gravity of the offence. Later a FIR was filed against the perpetrators.

Legal Standard Breached:

1.       Whoever commits rape shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may be for life or for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine. [Sec. 376 of IPC].
2.       Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. [Sec. 148 of IPC].
3.       Whoever wrongfully confines any person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. [Sec. 341 of IPC].
4.       Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. (Sec. 354 of IPC).
5.       Whoever  commits,  the  offence  of  criminal  intimidation  shall  be  punished  with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. (Sec. 506 of IPC).
6.       Whoever commits house-trespass shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine or which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. [Sec.448 of IPC].      
7.       Whoever  commits  theft  in  any  building,  tent  or  vessel,  which  building,  tent  or vessel is used as a human dwelling, or used for the custody of property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine. [Sec. 380 of IPC].
8.       Whoever assaults or uses force to any woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonor or outrage her modesty - - shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to five years and with fine. (sec. 3(1)(xi) SC/ST PoA Act).
9.       No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to - (a)  access  to  shops,  public  restaurants,  hotels  and  places  of  public entertainment. (15 (2)(a,b) of IC-FR).
10.   Whoever, being a public servant but not being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, willfully neglects his/her duties required to be performed by him/her under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year [sec. 4 SC/ST (PoA) Act].
11.   Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person [Arts. 3 UDHR, Art. 6(1) ICCPR & Art. 5(b) CERD].
12.   No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment [Art. 5 UDHR and Art. 7 ICCPR].