Social Justice minister seeks CBI probe into custodial death of Dalit youth
New Delhi: Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot has demanded a CBI probe into the death of a Dalit man in police custody in Madhya Pradesh last month.
The man had allegedly died due to torture by police after being arrested for theft in Indore. In a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, the Union Minister stated that it had come to his notice that 22-year-old Sanju Tipaniya was brutally tortured by the Gandhi Nagar police, despite claiming innocence.
"The police have crossed all limits of brutality. They plucked out his nails with pliers, hit his legs with a hammer and gave him electric shocks following which he fainted," the minister said. "They poured water on him to bring him to his senses and when he gained consciousness, he was beaten up again... He was not even given water to drink. He battled for his life for three hours," Gehlot said while describing the torture meted out to him.
He alleged that the young man's mother was also called to the police station and thrashed by the police leading to a fracture in her hand and leg. Even his brother was beaten up in front of villagers and he sustained injuries, Gehlot said, adding that it was important to ensure justice for the victim's family.
"I view of the seriousness of the issue, I hope you will order a CBI inquiry into it," he wrote. Family members of the youth had alleged that he died due to torture by police personnel at the Gandhi Nagar police station.
Superintendent of Police (West) Suraj Verma said Tipaniya was taken to a nearby hospital, from where he was shifted to the state-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, but could not be saved. He said the Gandhi Nagar police station in-charge, Neeta Deyarwal, and four constables had been suspended.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
