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Supreme Court Directs Governments To Provide 30 Lakh Relief To Families Of Manual Scavengers; Eradicate Practice

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Observing that manual scavengers have lived in bondage, systematically trapped in inhuman conditions for a long time, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and state governments to completely eradicate manual scavenging across the country.

Passing a slew of directions for the benefit of people involved in manual scavenging, the court asked the central and state governments to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of those who die while cleaning sewers.

Battle for freedom

“Ours is a battle not for wealth of power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for reclamation of human personality,” Justice S Ravindra Bhat quoted B R Ambedkar as he along with Justice Aravind Kumar pronounced the verdict on a PIL against manual scavenging.

Enhancing the compensation in cases of sewer deaths and injuries, the top court said those who suffer permanent disabilities while cleaning sewers will be paid Rs 20 lakh as minimum compensation, and for other injuries a compensation up to Rs 10 lakh can be paid to the victims.

Union & state governments must ensure eradication

“The Union and the state governments must ensure that manual scavenging is completely eradicated,” the bench said. The bench issued 14 directions to the Union and state governments for effective implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Justice Bhat, who read out the verdict, said the authorities needed to take measures for the rehabilitation of the victims and their families. The kith and kin of the victims be provided scholarships and imparted skill development training.

“If you have to be truly equal in all respects, the commitment that Constitution makers gave to all sections of society by entrenching emancipatory provisions such as Articles 15(2)…, each of us must live up to its promise. The Union and States are duty bound to ensure that the practice of manual scavenging is completely eradicated,” Justice Bhat said.

Article 15(2) of the Constitution says the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth.

We owe this to those who have remained unseen

“Each of us owe to this large segment of the population, who have remained unseen, unheard and muted, in bondage systematically trapped in inhuman conditions. The conferment of entitlements and placement of obligations upon the Union and States through the express prohibitions in the Constitution and provisions of the 2013 Act mean that they are obliged to implement the provisions in the letter and spirit,” he said.

Justice Bhat said a duty is cast on all to realise “true fraternity”. “It is not without reason that our Constitution has placed great emphasis on the value of dignity and fraternity. But for these two, all other liberties are chimera. All of us today, who proudly bask in the achievements of our republic, have to awake and arise so that the darkness which has been the fate of generations of our people is dispelled…,” he said.

Issuing a slew of directions, which were not read out, the bench said government agencies must coordinate to ensure that such incidents do not occur and high courts are not precluded from monitoring the cases related to sewer deaths.

Further monitoring on February 1, 2024.

The bench posted the PIL for further monitoring on February 1, 2024.

As many as 347 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in India in the last five years with Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi accounting for 40 per cent of these deaths, according to government data cited in the Lok Sabha in July 2022.

Crime

Andhra Pradesh Govt Suspends Three IPS Officers Over Actress Harassment Case

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The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended three senior IPS officers following an inquiry into the allegations made by a Mumbai-based actress, Kadambari Jethwani. The state government issued orders suspending P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Director General of Police, Intelligence; Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.

She and her parents allegedly faced harassment at the hands of police officers at the instance of a leader of YSR Congress, which was then the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. The suspensions were issued under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Sitharama Anjaneyulu has been suspended on allegations of misuse of power and grave misconduct.

He had allegedly instructed the other two officials to arrest the actress, even before a formal crime had been registered. There are allegations that Kanthi Rana Tata arrested the actress based on oral instructions from his superior on January 31, 2024, before the registration of the FIR on February 2.

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Crime

UP: Man Beats Wife To Death In Amroha For Not Meeting Dowry Demands Of TVS Apache Bike & ₹3 Lakh Cash

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Amroha: In a tragic incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, a young woman named Meena was brutally beaten to death by her husband, Sundar, for not fulfilling his dowry demands. Sundar, a resident of Baikheda village, had been married to Meena for two years and had persistently demanded a TVS Apache bike and Rs 3 lakh as dowry. Despite repeated harassment over the dowry, Meena was unable to meet his demands, a situation she had confided to her father.

Meena had been staying at her father’s home in Soharka since the festival of Rakshabandhan, possibly seeking refuge from the abuse. Sundar continued visiting her daily, often having meals with her family, creating an appearance of normalcy.

Sundar Brought Meena Back Home, Later Killed Her

On Sunday night, he came to bring her back to his house. Once there, Sundar confronted her again about the dowry and, in a violent fit of rage, attacked her with sticks. Unable to force her compliance, he strangled her to death before fleeing the scene.

It was the local residents who first alerted the authorities to the murder. Upon hearing the devastating news, Meena’s family rushed to the police station, demanding immediate action against Sundar. Her father, Vijay Khadak Banshi, later lodged a formal complaint accusing Sundar, along with his mother, sister and four others, of involvement in the crime.

Case Filed, Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused

The police have registered a case based on the family’s complaint and are actively searching for Sundar, who remains at large. Meanwhile, Meena’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to aid in the ongoing investigation.

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National News

Karnataka BJP MLA Munirathna Booked For Alleged Harassment, Bribery & Casteist Abuse

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Bengaluru, September 14: Two FIRs have been registered against BJP MLA Munirathna for alleged harassment, threats and casteist abuse, police said on Saturday. The cases against the Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA were filed at Vyalikaval police station here on Friday, they said.

In the first FIR filed by BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) contractor, Cheluvaraju, he accused the MLA of demanding Rs 30 lakh as a bribe and threatening to terminate his contract if he did not pay the amount.

In his complaint, he alleged that initially, Munirathna had demanded Rs 20 lakh in 2021 from him over a solid waste disposal contract. However, despite making that payment for getting 10 auto trippers for a waste management contract, he was not sanctioned those vehicles by the civic body.

According to the FIR, Cheluvaraju was being repatedly harassed by the MLA who allegedly verbally abused him and also physically assaulted him. In the complaint, he further alleged that the MLA did not allow him to execute his work and had even slapped him in September 2023.

Along with the MLA, three others, including government officials, were also named in the FIR for allegedly threatening, abusing and harassing the contractor. He also alleged that because of the repeated harassment, he even thought of ending his life, it said. Cheluvaraju has also released an audio recording of a phone conversation between him and the accused MLA.

According to police, the second FIR has been filed against the MLA on the complaint of a BBMP corporator who alleged that the MLA hurled casteist abuse, insulted his caste and family. The MLA allegedly asked Chaluvaraju not to associate himself with the corporator because of his caste.

The FIR was registered under SC and the ST (prevention of atrocities) Act and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.

A senior police officer said, “Based on the complaints received, we registered two separate cases against the MLA who has been accused of threats, harassment, bribery and casteist abuse. The matter is being investigated.”

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