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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FIFA gives more time for investigations into Israeli soccer asked for by Palestinian officials
Asuncion (Paraguay) (AP): Palestinian officials were left frustrated after FIFA gave no clear timeline to report on two investigations into Israeli soccer opened last year.
FIFA asked its disciplinary body last October to study allegations of discrimination by the Israeli soccer federation, and its governance panel to advise if teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank playing in national competitions breached the governing body's statues.
The Palestinian soccer federation's renewed claims to FIFA last year are part of a 15-year campaign seeking action against settlement clubs.
"Let's not wait another year. We need to act now,” Palestinian soccer official Susan Shalabi, a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee, urged FIFA leaders.
“All we are asking for is a clear update on the status of the matter and an exact date in which the investigation will be concluded,” she said.
Shalabi asked FIFA to set a one-month deadline for the governance panel to report back to the ruling council chaired by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The Palestinians' issues in soccer are “visible, undeniable but sadly ignored,” she said, getting warm applause after a nine-minute speech.
FIFA responded after no member federation at the Congress, including Israel, took up an invitation to speak.
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström said the two investigations need more time and new members elected on Thursday had to be informed on the issues.
“The committees are working diligently to conclude what is clearly a highly complex topic,” he said.
