Girl tied to tree, thrashed by villagers for running away with boy from different caste
Nawada, Oct 05: In a horrific incident emerging from the state of Bihar, a girl was tied to a tree and flogged by villagers on the orders of a local panchayat. What is even more appalling is that the girl's parents were among those who stood in support of the village court's decision which deemed it fit for her to be assaulted mercilessly simply because she eloped with a boy who hails from a different village and caste.
A video of the incident which took place in the Rajauli village of Bihar's Nawada district has gone viral on social media. According to reports, the girl ran away with her boyfriend on September 30 and the couple was living in a nearby village until recently when her parents and other villagers caught hold of her and dragged her back to Rajauli against her own will.
A village panchayat set up upon her arrival then decided that she must be punished for eloping with a boy from a caste other than her own. The local court then announced her punishment. In a video of the assault, the girl can be seen tied to a tree and flogged mercilessly by men as villagers stand by in attendance. Regional media reported that the girl fainted multiple times during the assault but that did not deter the men from thrashing her.
In a statement she gave to the media, the girl said that she ran away with her boyfriend, a resident of Balia, on her own free will. However, her own father told a reporter that the punishment meted out to his daughter was justified because of the 'crime' committed by her. "We want her to get married to someone from our own caste and not outside of it," said the father.
Nawada: Girl was tied to a tree and thrashed for hours today on a Panchayat's diktat for eloping with a man on September 30. Father says, 'she was tied because she is a criminal. She wants to go with a man from another caste'. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/62tzrV2rtp
— ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2018
Courtesy: www.timesnownews.com
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
