19-year-old Dalit man allegedly sexually assaulted, hit with liquor bottle in Rajasthan
Sikar: In a disturbing incident, a 19-year-old Dalit man in Rajasthan’s Sikar district has accused two men of committing “unnatural sex”, urinating on him, and abusing him on the basis of his caste.
The young man further alleged that the accused men hit him with a liquor bottle, and threatened to kill him and his family if he were to complain, as reported by The Indian Express on Sunday.
The alleged crime took place on April 8 in Fatehpur, but an FIR was filed on April 16, with the Dalit man stating that he delayed filing the complaint as he was “scared” because the accused persons had allegedly recorded videos of their acts.
As per the FIR, the Dalit man’s family was attending a wedding at the time of the alleged offence. “When the DJ came near the wedding home, I too left my house to watch it. On my way, I was stopped by (the accused), who asked me to accompany them to the (bus) station for some work,” he alleged in the FIR.
However, he mentioned that the accused men, both of whom were said to have been drunk, took him to an isolated spot outside the village and began hurling casteist abuses at him. “They said that they wanted to kill my father, but since he is outside the country, it is your turn [to be beaten up]. They started punching and kicking me, and hit me with a stick” he said in the complaint.
The duo then allegedly asked him to remove his clothes, the report added. “They had unnatural sex with me and urinated on me, of which they recorded a video. They hit me with a bottle of alcohol,” he further alleged, adding that one of the men hit him with a stick on his back, arms, stomach and genitals.
Two men from a nearby settlement later intervened and rescued the complainant. The Dalit man revealed that the ordeal did not end there, as the accused called him the next day and threatened to leak his videos online if he spoke about the incident.
The complainant said he did not initially tell his family about the assault, but later confided in them after he had trouble urinating.
A case has been filed under various provisions, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, and one section of the Information Technology Act which deals with punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc, in electronic form.
Meanwhile, DSP Arvind Kumar stated that an independent witness said the complainant did not tell him about unnatural sex, but only of assault. “The investigation is on; forensic and medical reports will make things clearer,” TIE quoted DSP Arvind Kumar as saying.
The allegations sparked outrage, with Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra stating, “The BJP’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath’ is merely an election gimmick for Dalits; in reality, under BJP rule, they face only humiliation, oppression, and injustice.” Dotasra further noted that atrocities against Dalits in Rajasthan is continuously increasing, adding that the law and order under the saffron party has deteriorated to such an extent that “the cries of the weaker sections no longer reach the corridors of power.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vartha Bharati launches Kalyana Karnataka edition, releases 23rd annual special issue in Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi: The Kalyana Karnataka edition of the Kannada daily Vartha Bharati was formally launched on Saturday at a programme held at Dr S M Pandit Rangamandir in Kalaburagi. The event also marked the release of the newspaper’s twenty-third annual special issue, a compilation of selected editorials, and the Kalyana Karnataka special supplement.
The programme was inaugurated by Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader. The Kalyana Karnataka edition of Vartha Bharati was unveiled by Siddharth Varadarajan, Editor-in-Chief of The Wire.
The twenty-third annual special issue was released by multilingual actor Prakash Raj. The book compiling selected editorials of Vartha Bharati was released by B R Patil, Vice-Chairperson of the State Policy and Planning Commission and MLA from Aland. The Kalyana Karnataka special supplement was released by Rahim Khan, Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj.
ALSO READ: Kalaburagi: ‘Vartha Bharati’ Kalyana Karnataka edition launched
Chairperson of the State Waqf Board and Sajjada Nashin of the Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah, Hazrat Syed Mohammed Ali Al Husseini, and Kalaburagi South MLA Allamaprabhu Patil were present as chief guests.
Among the special invitees on the dais were Koraneshwara Mahaswamiji of the Tontadarya Anubhava Mantapa, Aland; Bishop Rev Fr Robert Miranda of Kalaburagi; Bhante Varajyothi of Anandur; social activist K Neela; farmers’ leader Chamarasa Mali Patil; DSS state convenor D G Sagar; and activist and singer Ambanna Arolikar.
Speaking on the occasion, Assembly Speaker U T Khader said Vartha Bharati had emerged as the voice of the weak and the voiceless in society and had earned the love, trust and confidence of people across the state. He said the newspaper had carved out a distinct identity in the media landscape and expressed happiness that it was now reaching the Kalyana Karnataka region. He added that Vartha Bharati had remained free from political pressures and inducements and expressed hope that it would continue to stand as a support system for the distressed.
B R Patil said running a newspaper in the present times was not easy, as the media sector had increasingly turned into an industry driven by profit. Amidst such challenges, he said, Vartha Bharati had maintained integrity, honesty and commitment throughout its twenty-three-year journey. He expressed confidence that the newspaper would continue on the same path. Referring to Kalaburagi, he noted that the region frequently witnessed agitations due to the large number of unresolved issues, and said Vartha Bharati should continue to bring the problems and suffering of the people to the attention of the government and contribute to finding solutions.
