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.”
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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.
