Dalit youngster in Bengaluru dies of alleged custodial violence; case handed over to CID
Bengaluru: A case of the death of a 23-year-old Dalit youngster at a rehabilitation centre in the city, which gave rise to suspicion of custodial violence, has been handed over to the CID.
The deceased, identified as Darshan alias Singamalai, was a resident of Sonnenahalli and allegedly involved in petty cases in the area, according to a report in Deccan Herald.
Based on a complaint by Darshan’s family, Madanayakanahalli Police had registered a case against Viveknagar Police, who had kept the deceased youngster in custody before sending him to a rehabilitation centre.
According to a senior police officer, on Saturday, November 15, Viveknagar Police personnel had picked up Darshan after he gave rise to panic on the premises of a church by displaying a lethal weapon in hand and also assaulting a police personnel during detention. At the request of the family, however, the police withheld from registering a case against him.
The family members told the police that Darshan was under the drug influence and asked the police officers to admit Darshan into a rehabilitation centre. The deceased was treated at the centre for 11 days.
Darshan’s mother Adilakshmi has accused Viveknagar police of illegally keeping her son in custody for three days and subjecting him to assault during the period. The police personnel, who were pleaded by Adilakshmi not to send her son to jail, agreed and shifted Darshan to Unity Rehabilitation Centre near Nelamangala on November 16.
Shortly after, the family received a call from the centre, informing them that Darshan had died, succumbing to the injuries. Doctors reportedly told Adilakshmi that they found injury marks on her son’s body, giving rise to suspicion of assault.
CK Baba, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru District, has said that Madanayakanahalli Police have registered an FIR under: BNS 103(1) – Murder, BNS 127(3) SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Section 3(2)(v). He has added that the FIR names Viveknagar Inspector, police constable, and two others.
The Karnataka DG & IGP has transferred the case to CID for further investigation, the SP has stated.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
