DALITS/SCHEDULED CASTES - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

we did not have any enmity with anybody in the village," the complaint said. Meanwhile, fearing anotherround of violence, dalit families on Wednesday approached Kaithal deputy commissioner ChanderShekhar and sought action against the accused and demanded setting up of a permanent police post inPabnama village. "We have arrested Ravi, who belongs to Ror community, in an attempt to murder caseregistered against him at Dhand police station," said Kaithal SP Kuldeep Singh. "Ram Mehar is not in aposition to give his statement. So we are not sure if the case is related to the earlier incidence of violencein the village," he added. Last month, nine persons, including seven cops, were injured after youths fromRor community attacked dalit houses as Surya Kant had married a girl of their community, resulting inexodus by 100 dalit families from the village. (Times of India 17/5/13)Death of dalit woman: Police to file report today (2)KOCHI/TRIPUNITHURA: The city police, probing the circumstances that led to the suicide of a dalitwoman following alleged police harassment, will submit its report to city police commissioner K G Jameson Monday. The commissioner will initiate punitive action against the police personnel involved in theincident after studying the report, said a police official. Thrikakkara assistant commissioner Bijo Alexandersaid Tripunithura circle inspector had taken statements from the relatives of the victim and cops who tookthe victim into custody from her house. "Based on these statements, the inspector is preparing a detailedreport," said Alexander. Meanwhile, political parties and various others organizations have launchedprotest campaigns in Tripunithura demanding action against the police personnel who were involved inthe alleged harassment of the women identified as Sunitha of Mathur colony. Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabhahas decided to lodge complaints to chief minister Oommen Chandy and home minister ThiruvanchoorRadhakrishnan seeking stringent action against culprits. On Friday, 32-year-old housewife Sunithacommitted suicide after she was allegedly harassed by a group of police personnel at Hill Palace policestation. She ended her life by jumping in front of a speeding train near the Mathur colony level cross.Sources said the dalit woman was allegedly harassed by a few policemen at the station after her husbandBabu was booked in connection with a case. (Times of India 20/5/13)11 held, 3 surrender for attack on Dalits (2)MADURAI: Eleven members of an intermediate caste were arrested, while three others surrenderedbefore the Nanguneri Judicial Magistrate Court, in connection with the attack on Dalit women andincidents of arson in Tirunelveli district in early May. The Thirukkurunkudi village at Thenkarai inNanguneri taluk, inhabited by Dalits, was attacked on May 8 by 50 armed men from the intermediatecaste, as a backlash to a funeral procession taken out by Dalits bearing the body of Kumari (a)Thavamani, who died the previous day. The procession, taken out under police protection, traversed apublic pathway at Nambithalaivanpattaiyam, dominated by members of the intermediate castes, to reachthe cremation ground at Avaramthalai. Twenty five Dalit houses were damaged, a few vehicles torchedand five women injured in the attack. About 300 Dalits occupy 80 houses in the village. Followingcomplaints lodged by the Dalits, the Thirukurunkudi police filed cases under Sections 147, 148, 294(b),324 and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 3(1)(10) of the Scheduled Castes/ScheduledTribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. The police also filed a case against the Dalits under Sections294(b), 323, 354 and 427 of the IPC based on a counter-complaint from the intermediate caste members.The Dalits submitted a petition to the District Collector on May 13, demanding action against the peopleinvolved in the attack and seeking police protection. A similar flare-up occurred on December 29, 2012,when a Dalit funeral procession following the death of a woman, Chellammal, drew violence fromintermediate caste members. Evidence, a Madurai-based non-governmental organisation, visitedThirukkurunkudi village on May 16. The NGO submitted a report to the government demanding the arrestof those involved in the attack under Sections 3(1) (11), 3(2) (3) of the the Scheduled Castes/ScheduledTribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. Their other demands included Rs.2 lakh compensation for theaffected Dalits and reconstruction of the damaged houses. The government should also identify the