Dalit teenagers brutally tortured in Chhattisgarh ice cream factory over wage demand; Five arrested
Korba, Chhattisgarh: Two Dalit teenagers were subjected to inhuman torture in Korba district of Chhattisgarh, allegedly by the owner of an ice cream factory and his associates, after they demanded their pending wages. The incident, which took place under the Civil Lines police station limits, has triggered outrage after a disturbing video of the assault went viral on social media.
The victims, identified as Abhishek and Vinod Bhambi (18), hail from Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. They had been working at the factory for two months after being promised a monthly salary of ₹10,000. According to the police, they were hired through a contractor to work at the factory owned by one Chhotu Gurjar in the Khaprabhatti area.
In their complaint, the teenagers alleged that when they asked for their pending wages, they were subjected to brutal torture. The accused reportedly stripped them, beat them severely, pulled out their nails and private parts using pliers, and gave them electric shocks. Throughout the ordeal, they were verbally abused with casteist slurs. A video shot by one of the accused shows a semi-nude man pleading for mercy while being beaten and electrocuted.
The victims somehow managed to escape and reached back to Bhilwara, where they filed a complaint. Rajasthan Police registered a zero FIR and forwarded the case to Korba Police for investigation. Korba SP Siddharth Tewari said that the FIR was received around 9 am on Friday, and within hours, five of the accused seen in the video were arrested.
"Two of those arrested are believed to be the factory owners, and the rest are their associates. One of the accused is a minor. All of them will be produced before the court," the SP said.
A case has been registered at the Civil Lines police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 308(2) (extortion), along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, particularly Section 3(2)(v-a), which deals with crimes committed against Scheduled Castes with knowledge of their identity.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights activists. Bhanwar Meghwanshi, President of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties in Rajasthan, highlighted the timing of the incident, noting that it took place on the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
"While garlands were being offered to Baba Saheb’s pictures, Dalit youths were being stripped and tortured — is this the 'New India'? Why are the governments of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan silent?" he wrote on social media platform X, calling the incident a case of “caste-based terror.”
Suresh Meghwanshi, a journalist and Bhim Army activist, warned that if the government fails to provide immediate justice and compensation to the victims, the organisation will be forced to launch a protest.
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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.
