annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Madhya Pradesh
dragged his wife, sister-in-law and
daughter-in-law. The accused later beat up
the three women and gang-raped them.
The gang rape was suspected to be in
retaliation for elopement of Govardhan’s
son, Nilesh with a 15-year-old Yadav girl.
The village council had earlier set 8 July
2004 deadline to produce the girl before
it. 32 On 11 July 2004, the state government
ordered a probe into the incident. The state
government also threatened to impose
“community fine” on the entire village
where residents remained mute spectators
to the ghastly act. 33 On 16 July 2004,
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil
informed the Lok Sabha that police so far
arrested 11 persons in connection with the
gang rape and suspended two police
officials for the negligence of duty. 34
On 9 July 2004, a Dalit woman was
allegedly stripped in full public view at
Khadi village in Sehore district by the
sarpanch of the village. 35
On 11 July 2004, a 32-year-old Dalit
woman was allegedly raped by four men in
Keolari village in Damoh district, and
another Dalit woman was raped by two
men in her house in Ajeetpur village in the
same district. The police could not arrest
the accused of both the rape cases. 36
On 27 August 2004, a Dalit woman
was allegedly stripped in public by one
Raja, a youth belonging to upper caste
Pandit community at the Nivari village
under the Rehli Police Station in Sagar
district. The victim alleged that she went
to Raja’s house to apologise for the
damage done to his crop by her cattle, but
Raja refused to listen to her explanation
and thrashed her while using caste-specific
abuses. He then forcibly disrobed her in
full public view. A case was reportedly
registered against the accused. 37
On 1 November 2004, a Dalit woman
identified as Ramkali Bai wife of Gulab
Harijan was allegedly brutally tortured by
five upper caste men for drawing water
from a handpump reserved for them in a
village in Vidisha district. The accused
allegedly hung her upside down from a
tree, beaten up and chilli powder was
rubbed into her private parts. Both her
hands were fractured and the right leg was
broken due to the beating. Later the upper
caste men threatened the Dalit couple
against reporting the matter to the police.
Although the couple filed a complaint with
the local police on 1 November 2004, no
action was taken against the accused. The
couple then petitioned the Superintendent
of Police of Vidisha on 5 November 2004,
and then to the Collector on 2 December
2004; but still no action was taken against
the accused because the prime accused
happened to be a relative of a local cop.
The Superintendent of Police of Vidisha
did refer her to the Civil Hospital but
doctors there refused to operate upon her.
They allegedly turned her away after
casting a plaster over the broken limbs.
They recast the plaster on 28 November
2004 but the arbitrary manner of treatment
left Ramkali with partially paralysed
limbs. The police however contested the
claim of torture made by the victim. DIG
Sanjiv Kumar Singh said that a DSP sent
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