Latest News Update: Mar 13, 2011

Sunday, March 13, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Mirchpur: Court puts 98 on trial

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Mirchpur--Court-puts-98-on-trial/761458/

Mirchpur: Court puts 98 on trial
Express news service Posted online: Sat Mar 12 2011, 03:55 hrs
New Delhi : Terming the dominant Jat community as "aggressors" and
Dalits "sufferers" in the April 2010 Mirchpur attack, a Delhi court on
Friday put 98 upper caste men on trial for killing two Dalits in the
attack.

"I may observe that the context of the caste cannot be lost sight of
in the present case and it is writ large that the accused belonging to
dominant caste (Jat community) were the aggressors and the victims
belonging to the Dalit community were the sufferers," Additional
Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said while ordering the accused to stand
trial.

Besides slapping penal charges, the court ordered their trial also
under provisions of the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act. "This is immaterial whether the case is based on
direct or circumstantial evidence. This court is only required to see
if there is sufficient prima facie ground for proceeding against the
accused," the judge said.

The provisions under which the accused have been charged relate to
murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity between
communities. The accused, however, did not plead guilty to the charges
and preferred trial.

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[ZESTCaste] Manmohan seeks consensus on quota for Dalit Christians, Muslims

http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/13/stories/2011031355071000.htm

Manmohan seeks consensus on quota for Dalit Christians, Muslims

Smita Gupta

Promises action "to allay fears and insecurity Christians are experiencing"

Chief Ministers will be asked to deal firmly with anti-Christian violence

Promises to act on the Saldanha report on violence against minorities
in Karnataka

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured a Christian
delegation on Saturday that he was trying to evolve a consensus on
granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.

He also said he would ask Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to speak
to the Chief Ministers, especially of Karnataka and Orissa, to deal
firmly with anti-Christian violence, and that he would personally
speak to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to seek a legal
reprieve from a Supreme Court directive, which had led to the
demolition by the Municipal Corporation of stone crosses, dating back
to the British and Portuguese times, in Mumbai.

In a press note, the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), a Mumbai-based NGO,
said Dr. Singh "listened patiently" to the delegation and assured it
that he would do all in his capacity "to allay the fears and
insecurity that Christians were experiencing." He said his government
was also "concerned about the unfortunate happenings and was aware of
the image it gave the country abroad," the note said.

The Prime Minister's assurance, at a 45-minute meeting at his
residence, on consensus comes little over a fortnight after
Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati briefed the Cabinet Committee on
Political Affairs on the long-standing demand by the Dalit Christians
and the Dalit Muslims that they be given reservation, the way Dalit
Buddhists are, as per the 1950 Presidential Order.

Mr. Vahanvati's briefing was given in the context of a public interest
litigation petition pending in the Supreme Court. At the last hearing,
the court asked the government whether the fact that the Dalit
Christians and the Dalit Muslims were deprived of the benefits of
reservation did not amount to hostile discrimination under Article 14.
The government will have to either justify upholding the 1950
Presidential Order or accept the Ranganath Misra Commission's
recommendation. The matter is expected to come up in the court some
time next month, it is learnt.

The government would have to deal with the matter soon, sources in the
government said, as a decision would impact on the promised caste
census: at present, there are no authentic figures for the various
castes.

Congress sources added that at present, the party was divided on the
issue: as things stand, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
has said that if reservation is given to these two groups, it should
not be from the 15 per cent meant for the Dalits — it should be a
separate quota. The existing position on reservation at the national
level is: 27 per cent for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 15 per
cent for the Scheduled Castes (or the Dalits) and 7.5 per cent for the
Scheduled Tribes. The three categories together account for 49.5 per
cent, and till now, the Supreme Court has ruled that reservation
should not exceed 50 per cent. Clearly, therefore, a decision one way
or the other will open a can of worms.

If the government, therefore, upholds the status quo, aggrieved groups
like the CSF may well challenge it in court, CSF sources said.
Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi told the Prime Minister that the
government needed to act soon, "as its dithering was being viewed
negatively by the minorities as an instance of communalising the SC
benefits to support only the Dalits of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist
origin."

Those who met the Prime Minister included Archbishop Concessao,
Michael Saldanha, retired judge of the Bombay and Karnataka High
Courts; CSF general secretary Joseph Dias; and Sunil Sardar,
president, Truth Seekers International.

Justice Saldanha is the author of the report which holds Karnataka's
Bharatiya Janata Party government and the Hindutva brigade culpable
for the ongoing anti-minority violence in the State. The Prime
Minister, CSF sources said, promised to have the report examined and
action taken wherever required against the guilty.

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[ZESTCaste] ‘Honour killing': court raps police, orders disciplinary action

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1532485.ece

CHANDIGARH, March 13, 2011
'Honour killing': court raps police, orders disciplinary action
Vrinda Sharma
Share · Comment · print · T+

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered disciplinary action
against the police officials in charge of providing protection to
Manoj and Babli, who were killed by her relatives for marrying in the
same gotra in 2007, for 'virtually landing them in a death trap.'
While the Punjab and Haryana High Court commuted the session's court
verdict on Friday and acquitted Satish and Ganga Raj, the prime
accused, Gurdev Singh, Suresh Kumar, Rajinder Singh and Baru Ram have
been sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment without remissions.
The seven-year jail sentence of another convict, Mandeep Singh, who
drove the car in which the couple were carried to the canal, has been
maintained by the Division Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and M
Jayapaul?

Manoj (23) had married Babli (19) of Karora village in Kaithal
district, against the wishes of their panchayat on April 7, 2007. Soon
the entire village had turned against Manoj's family as the couple
belonged to the same gotra. On June 15, 2007, on the orders of the
khap, they were brutally abducted despite police protection, brutally
killed and their bodies were thrown into a canal.

The Bench said there was no direct evidence that Gurdev Singh, Suresh
Kumar, Rajinder Singh and Baru Ram had committed the murders. "Even in
the 21st century, such a shameful act of hollow honour killing is
perpetrated in our society. It is a slur on the fine fabric of Indian
society. Abduction is really cruel and that too the murder of the
abductees is barbaric. Our conscience does not permit us to confer
death sentences to Gurdev, Suresh, Rajinder and Baru Ram," reads the
order. However the manner in which the couple were provided protection
was held as the main reason behind their unfortunate killing. "We find
that the investigating agency, in such a sensational case, bungled at
each and every stage. Firstly, SI Jagbir Singh, who perceived a threat
to the lives of Manoj and Babli, should not have withdrawn
security…Till their departure from Pipli, there was a real threat to
their lives from the family of Babli. Very strangely, SI Jagbir Singh
obtained some statement from Manoj and Babli and virtually landed them
in a death trap…"

While condemning 'the shameful act of hollow honour killings' the
court, in its 48-page judgment, gave directions to the Haryana DGP to
initiate disciplinary proceedings against SI Jagbir Singh, SI Dharam
Pal and Inspector Subhash. "We are constrained to infer that, in fact,
the police officials were hand in glove with the accused party. We
find that they did not evince any interest, as warranted in this case,
to collect material against the accused…Quite unfortunately, novices
in the investigating field were employed to detect the shocking crime
for reasons best known to the police." Satish was acquitted as the
prosecution failed to establish that Satish was the son of Babli's
maternal uncle and nothing was recovered from Satish's possessions.
Ganga Raj, who has been alleged as the main conspirator of the
killing, was acquitted as there was no evidence to prove that he was
present at the crime scene.

The judgment chides the police. "Had the police woken up from its deep
slumber, they would have saved the precious life of the innocent young
couple. We are constrained to infer that in fact, police officials had
been hand-in-glove with the accused and provided loopholes at each and
every stage of investigation. They have not evinced any interest as
warranted in the case to collect telling materials."

Advocate R.S. Bains, counsel for Manoj's mother Chandrapati, said he
will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the verdict. He added
that Manoj's mother and sister, who had raised their voice against
khap panchayats, need police protection.

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[ZESTCaste] MCC Joint Commissioner Gheraoed over Neglect of Dalits

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=227106

Mangalore: MCC Joint Commissioner Gheraoed over Neglect of Dalits

Team Mangalorean

Mangalore, Mar 12 (7-30 am): Communist Party of India (Marxist)
workers staged a gherao against the joint commissioner of the
Mangalore City Corporation on Friday.

They alleged that in spite of two long years having elapsed,
applications from Dalits regarding supply of Sintex tanks, repair to
houses, toilets, power connection etc. have been held up on various
tables at the MCC. The applicants have been running from pillar to
post to get their applications approved but there was no response from
the city body.

They accused Congress also collaborating in the scams of the ruling
BJP, thereby exposing itself. Soon joint commissioner Vijayalakshmi
Shenoy arrived on the scene with revenue officers Meghana R and
Praveenchandra Karkera. They assured the agitators the matter would be
resolved within a week's time. Only they the crowd dispersed.

The gherao was led by CPM city unit secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal and
other leaders from Dalit organizations and DYFI.

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[ZESTCaste] Rs 2,000 cr plan for dalit bastis' uplift

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-12/lucknow/28683264_1_urban-local-bodies-cabinet-secretary-bsp-supremo

Rs 2,000 cr plan for dalit bastis' uplift
TNN,Mar 12, 2011, 12.46am IST

LUCKNOW: Keeping impending elections to urban local bodies (ULB) in
mind, the BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati on Friday announced
an ambitious Rs 2,000 crore scheme for the facelift of urban `dalit
bastis' in the state. The scheme is dedicated to the memory of BSP
founder Kanshi Ram, whose birth anniversary falls on March 15.

Announcing this here at a press conference, cabinet secretary Shashank
Shekhar Singh said that the fund earmarked for this purpose would be
in addition the provisions already made in the state annual budget
passed recently by both the houses of the state legislature.

Politically, the move is akin to that of the government's emphasis on
the development of Amebedkar Villages (having considerable dalit
population) in rural areas. Apparently aimed at expanding the BSP's
support base in urban areas, the motivation for this has apparently
come from the success of the government's initiative to regain the
pristine glory Hazratganj.

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[ZESTCaste] KDSS will hold 3 day dalit meet in Sirsi

http://www.sahilonline.org/english/news.php?cid=1&nid=10472

Coastal News

KDSS will hold 3 day dalit meet in Sirsi

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 - 17:14:42
S.O. News Service

Karwar: Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samithi (KDSS) will organise a
three day state convention of dalits at Sirsi between 18th to 20th
March.

While addressing the reporters, KDSS state convenor Lakshminarayan
Nagwar stated that the main aim of the convention is to enlighten the
KDSS office bearers about the aims and objectives of the Samithi, the
movements that the Samiti has launched for the betterment of the
dalits and the ill-effects of free economy and globalization. The
convention will also focus on dalit literature, culture, and
tradition, he added.

He asserted that the convention would also address the misconceptions,
where people have tried to equate dalit movement and naxal movement.
He averred that the doctrine of social justice propagated by B R
Ambedkar is misused today.

Prof G.K Govindraj will inaugurate the convention at Nisarga Dhama
near Yellapur Naka in Sirsi. Prof GS Siddalingaiah will deliver
valedictory speech on March 20, he informed. Samiti district convener
Shivaji Banavasi and other officer-bearers were present at the press
meet.

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[ZESTCaste] 'We are lucky to stay alive'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/We-are-lucky-to-stay-alive/articleshow/7689714.cms

'We are lucky to stay alive'
A Subburaj, TNN | Mar 13, 2011, 02.56am IST

COIMBATORE: The pastoral quiet in Kumarapalayam hamlet, 18 km from
Coimbatore city, is shattered. As official cars vroom into the dusty
hamlet, the shocked villagers heave a collective sigh of relief. "We
are lucky to be alive. The poisonous water could have easily wiped out
all the villagers in Kumarapalayam," says 30-year-old M Chellamal, a
farm worker.

Before the crack of dawn, Chellamal woke up to fill her tank with
drinking water. As she drank a few sips of water, she immediately
suffered from irritation in her throat and headache. By then word had
got out that the water was contaminated as a few villagers were on the
streets spreading the word around. Chellamal was rushed to the
hospital. She was put on drips and given detoxification shots. Back at
home on Saturday afternoon, Chellamal said, "I am feeling a little
better. But it is a miracle that I am alive."

Most of the villagers in this hamlet are agricultural labourers from
the Vanniar caste and about 10 per cent of them are Dalits. Both
communities live in harmony and are supplied water from the same
borewell. This is the first time that something like this has
happened. "There is no communal enmity in our village and we live
harmoniously. We don't know why they have poisoned our drinking
water," says 34-year-old farmer S Muniappan.

The panchayat president M Lakshmi said a piece of paper claiming that
Nataraj was responsible for the incident' was found near the borewell.
"But there are five people with the same name in our village. And one
of them had even consumed the water and fallen sick," she said.

Another victim, A Palanichamy, an agricultural labourer, who was
walking to the fields in the morning, stopped at the public tap to
drink water. "After drinking the water, I went to the farm for work.
But I could not hold the shovel and nearly swooned. Then, I staggered
back home and was rushed to the hospital."

Doctors from the primary health centre will be camping in the village
for the next one week. "Fortunately, most villagers had not consumed
the water. So, there was no casualty," said Dr D Anuradha from the
primary health centre at Sokkanur.

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[ZESTCaste] Salman Khurshid to deliver Ambedkar memorial lecture at AMU

http://www.indiaedunews.net/Uttar_Pradesh/Salman_Khurshid_to_deliver_Ambedkar_memorial_lecture_at_AMU_13679/

Salman Khurshid to deliver Ambedkar memorial lecture at AMU

March 11, 2011 | RSS

Salman Khurshid to deliver Ambedkar memorial lecture at AMU
Aligarh: Union Minister of Water Resource and Minority Affairs, Salman
Khurshid will deliver Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture 2010-2011 on the
theme "Constitution as an Instrument of Change" on March 12 at the
Kennedy Auditorium at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The lecture is being organized by Dr. Ambedkar Chair of Legal Studies
and Research, Department of Law, AMU on the initiative of Dr. Ambedkar
Foundation of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Prof. Mohammad Shabbir, Incharge of Dr. Ambedkar Chair of Legal
Studies and Research and Dean of the Faculty of Law said that AMU Vice
Chancellor P. K. Abdul Azis will preside over the programme and
Registrar V. K. Abdul Jaleel will be the guest of honor.

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[ZESTCaste] No collateral for loans to SC/ST: FM

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/no-collateral-for-loans-to-sc-st-fm/761113/

No collateral for loans to SC/ST: FM
Agencies
Posted online: 2011-03-11 14:15:03+05:30

New DelhiThe government today said the provision of collateral
security for getting loans from banks has been waived for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) as part of measures to grant them
easier access to credit.

"There is no need for collateral security for these sections for
getting bank loans," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok
Sabha while replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour.

He said banks should not insist on deposits while considering loan
applications under government sponsored poverty alleviation
schemes/self-employment programmes from borrowers of these (SC/ST)
communities.

In case of rejection of loan applications of SC/ST, it should be done
at the next higher level instead of at the branch level indicating
proper reasons for rejection, he said.

Mukherjee said banks have been asked to create greater awareness among
SC/STs in order to encourage them to access credit facilities.

"Field staff should contact such borrowers to explain schemes and
their advantages," he said.

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[ZESTCaste] Honour killing: Death sentence commuted for 5

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Honour-killing-Death-sentence-commuted-for-5/articleshow/7690358.cms

Honour killing: Death sentence commuted for 5
TNN | Mar 13, 2011, 06.45am IST

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday commuted the
death sentence awarded to five people in an honour killing case to 20
years imprisonment, while acquitting two men for lack of evidence.

A division bench of Justices S K Mittal and M Jeyapaul converted the
death sentence, ordered by Karnal sessions court in March last year,
to 20 years without remission in the case of honour killing of a young
couple, Manoj and Babli. It acquitted two other persons, main
conspirator Ganga Raj and Satish, for want of evidence. While Satish
had earlier been awarded death sentence, Ganga Raj was awarded life
imprisonment.

Coming down heavily on the Haryana Police for shoddy investigation in
the matter, the court ordered disciplinary action against the
investigating police officials. he couple, Manoj, 23, and Babli, 19,
had married in 2007 against the wishes of their families. Manoj, who
ran an electronics repair shop at Kaithal, eloped with Babli, resident
of Karoran village in May 2007.

They were murdered the next month. Suresh, brother of Babli, Rajinder
and Baru Ram (both uncles) and Gurdev and Satish (both cousins) were
awarded the death penalty by Additional District and Sessions Judge
Vani Gopal Sharma on March, 30 last year. Except Satish, who has been
acquitted by the high court, the other four will serve 20 years in
prison. The HC said that their term will be without remission. Mandeep
Singh, a driver, who was convicted for abduction of the couple, has
been given seven years in jail. However, Khap panchayat leader Ganga
Raj, who was also convicted for murder along with the other five
people, was acquitted. The convicted had conspired to kill the couple
after a khap panchayat decision declaring their marriage invalid.
Ganga Raj, a small-time political leader and Babli's relative, was
part of the khap decision. After chasing the couple for days, Babli's
relatives dragged them out of a Karnal-bound bus in June 2007,
brutally murdered them and threw their bodies in a canal. IANS

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[ZESTCaste] Jat agitation grips other states

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Jat-agitation-grips-other-states/articleshow/7689244.cms

Jat agitation grips other states

TNN | Mar 13, 2011, 04.44am IST
LUCKNOW: The Jat agitation demanding reservation in central services
and in states of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu under other backward class
(OBC) category spread to other parts of UP and adjoining states on
Saturday.

While the rail route blockade at Kafurpur in JP Nagar continued for
seventh day, Jatwala Khap panchayat of Jats in Muzaffarnagar served an
ultimatum that it will block all roads to Delhi from their district if
the demand was not met in next 48 hours. Reports of Jats blocking the
roads and holding demonstrations also poured in from Haryana and
Punjab. Jats may hold a protest in Delhi on Sunday.

In UP, Jats under the banner of All India Jat Arakshan Samiti have
blocked the rail tracks in Kafurpur for past one week, causing a loss
of over Rs eight crore to railways and inconvenience to over two lakh
people. All major trains connecting Uttarakhand and west UP to Delhi
are not plying on the route since the start of the agitation. Trains
to other parts of UP and beyond have been diverted, leading to 10-12
hours delay in movement.

No relief appears in sight as the Central government has not taken any
concrete step so far to persuade Jats to withdraw the agitation. The
talks between Jat delegation and Union cabinet secretary KM
Chandrashekhar remained inconclusive on Thursday. While the Centre
wants more time to consider the demand, Jats said they will not lift
the siege till their demand is met or they get an assurance either
from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi or Congress general secretary Rahul
Gandhi.

All India Jat Arakshan Samiti president Yashpal Mallik said the demand
of reservation for the Jat community, which includes Hindus, Muslims
and Sikhs settled in different parts of north India, is 20 years old.
For past three years, he added, Jats have been peacefully agitating.
"Several times in the past we withdrew our agitation on the assurance
of the government but this time we want something concrete," he said.
He also pointed out that when Jats have already been provided
reservation under OBC category in UP and Rajasthan, why the Centre is
reluctant to implement it in the central services. While thanking UP
chief minister Mayawati for her support, Mallik said the agitation is
non-political. "Anybody who wants to support us can do so but no party
politics or self-promotion will be allowed from our platform," he
said. Political parties, barring the Bahujan Samaj Party, have been
silent over the issue so far.

Meanwhile, rail services were disrupted at Hisar in Haryana due to the
Jat stir. The rail traffic was affected on Hisar-Bhiwani, Hisar-Jakhal
and Hisar-Sadalpur, a railway official said. The Jats also held
protest at Narwana affecting rail traffic on Delhi-Ferozepur section.
Six khap panchayats of Narwana in Haryana have decided to support the
agitation. In Punjab, Jats blocked the Amritsar-Jalandhar rail section
at village Khilchian near Amritsar. Jat leaders said they are planning
to hold an agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

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[ZESTCaste] UP to launch Rs 2,000 crore scheme for dalits

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/up-to-launch-rs-2000-crore-scheme-for-dalits/606654.html

UP to launch Rs 2,000 crore scheme for dalits
PTI | 09:03 PM,Mar 11,2011

Lucknow, Mar 11 (PTI) To improve the condition of dalit localities in
urban areas of the state, the Uttar Pradesh government today announced
to launch Rs 2,000 crore Kanshiram Urban Dalit Dominated Localities
Development Scheme. "To improve the poor condition of dalit-dominated
localities in the urban areas, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati
has decided to implement Kanshiramji Urban Dalit Dominated Localities
Development Scheme," Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told
reporters here. He said that under the new scheme, an expenditure of
Rs 2,000 crore would be made in the next financial year and in the
first phase 250 dalit dominating localities will be selected in a
descending order. "During her surprise inspection of all the 72
districts in the state, the CM realised that urban dalits and poor
were not getting their due rights," he said. The cabinet secretary
said that financial and physical review of various programmes being
implemented under the scheme would be done on regular basis. "Besides
providing basic amenities and development works benefits of various
pension schemes, scholarships and grant will be provided to the
people," he said.

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[ZESTCaste] 98 put on trial for killing 2 Dalits

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5022574

11/03/2011
98 put on trial for killing 2 Dalits

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) A Delhi court today put 98 upper caste men on
trial for the killing of two Dalits in a Haryana village, terming the
dominant Jat community as "aggressor" and Dalits as "sufferers" in the
incident.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau framed charges against 98 Haryana
natives saying "I may further observe that the context of the caste
cannot be lost sight of in the present case and it is writ large that
the accused belonging to dominant caste (Jaat community) were the
aggressors and the victims belonging to the Dalit community were the
sufferers."
"The entire incident took place within the full public view of the
residents of the village and hence the provisions of the Scheduled
Caste/ Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 would
apply," ASJ Lau said, while framing charges under various provisions
of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
She said there was enough prima facie evidence against the accused to
put them on trial.
"This is immaterial whether the case is based on direct or
circumstantial evidence. This court is only required to see if there
is sufficient prima facie ground for proceeding against the accused,"
she said.
The penal provisions, with which the accused have been charged, are
related to the offences of murder, rioting, making unlawful assembly,
promoting enmity between different communities, physical assault,
creating mischief and damaging public property, besides the conspiracy
to commit the crime.
While framing the charges against the 98 men, the court said the Dalit
victim and his daughter had been burnt alive by a rampaging mob at
Mirchpur village of the state''s Hissan district on April 21 last
year.
"The postmortem report of the deceased Tara Chand and his daughter
Suman also show that they had expired on account of burn injuries
connected with the incident," the Special Judge under the SC/ST Act
said in her order framing charges.
"Further, the report regarding the damage of immovable properties and
theft of movables has also been placed before me and has been
perused," the court said.
The accused, however, did not plead guilty to the charges and preferred trial.
The court posted the matter for recording of evidence of victims and
other witnesses on March 18.

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