Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 02.02.12

 

Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan - Out Look

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=749899

Interim relief ordered for rape victim - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2851419.ece

Suicide pact: Woman succumbs to burns - IBN Live

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/suicide-pact-woman-succumbs-to-burns/226215-60-117.html

 

Out Look

 

Dalits' Houses Set Afire, 8 Held in Rajasthan

http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=749899

 

PTI | Jodhpur | Feb 01, 2012             

 

 

Houses of Dalits were burnt by members of an upper caste at Padasla village in Osian near Jodhpur late last night, after which police arrested 8 persons today in connection with the arson.

 

The situation turned tense in the village following the incident and people from Dalit community assembled there demanding the earrest of the accused.

 

According to Richhpal Singh, DSP (Osian), a group of miscreants from the upper caste said to be 20-25 in number barged into the village riding autos, 4-wheelers and two-wheelers at about 11.30 pm on Tuesday and attacked some huts constructed on a land which the assailants claimed to be theirs and set them ablaze.

 

They also pelted stones on them and fired some shots in the air before fleeing, he said adding one person has sustained minor injuries.

 

Singh said some people from Dalit community have their huts built on a piece of 2-bigha land.

 

"Recently, they had constructed a hut on a land adjacent to this land, which when come to the notice of a person from the upper caste, who claimed it to be his land, and he, along with others of his community, came to evict them from the land and set the huts ablaze", the police officer told.

The situation in the village is under control now, he said adding "we have registered case against 19 persons under different sections of IPC including SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act".

 

According to an official, the issues related to land conflicts are on the rise in the villages, especially in the light of soaring land prices.

 

"It is very common that a land is registered in the name of some person but inhabited by some other person and that too for years in the villages like in this case. But now, with the price shooting up, those, who have the land registered in their name, are coming to claim such lands", he said adding that taking the advantage of the absence of the documents showing their ownership, miscreants are increasingly claiming such land, which is leading to conflict.

 

The Hindu

 

Interim relief ordered for rape victim

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2851419.ece

 

Special Correspondent

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Bihar government to pay an interim relief of Rs.5 lakh to a woman, who was raped by a Home Guard at a police outpost in Bagah village of Champaran West.

 

The Chief Secretary should send to the NHRC the proof of payment within four weeks and the district authorities should inform it whether the victim belonged to SC/ST community. The incident occurred on March 4, 2011.

 

The Commission took cognisance of the case on a complaint by one Prabir Kumar Das on July 11. In response to the Commission's proceedings and notices, Bihar had informed that the Home Guard was arrested and court proceedings were initiated against him. The process for termination of his services was also in progress.

 

The Assistant Sub-Inspector of the police outpost was suspended and departmental proceedings initiated against him. This is said to be the first time in recent times that the Commission had ordered an interim relief of as high as Rs.5 lakh to a rape victim.

 

IBN Live

 

Suicide pact: Woman succumbs to burns

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/suicide-pact-woman-succumbs-to-burns/226215-60-117.html

 

Express News Service , The New Indian Express

MALKANGIRI: A woman died of burn injuries while the condition of her acquaintance, Saurav Das, is stated to be stable in the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. He was admitted to the medical with 80 per cent burns on Tuesday.

 

The widow, Sukhalata Dash (35), died on way to district headquarters hospital on Monday morning. Sukhalata was an assistant teacher in a Podia-based SC/ST Department-managed school while Saurav works with an NGO, Harmony. The two were found in a critical condition in her government quarter on the school premises early Monday morning by school headmaster Prana Krushna Behera.

 

The woman, in her statement to the police minutes before death, said both of them had decided to commit suicide and hence doused themselves with kerosene. Saurav set her on fire and he too caught the flames, said Malkangiri IIC RK Pati. Sukhalata's husband died two years back and she is survived by her only daughter, he said.

 

Podia police have started probing the case following an FIR lodged by Mausumi Tripathy, a relative of Sukhalata.

 

 

-- 
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and  intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.