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Dalit boy’s suicide:50- year-old woman arrested in Himachal’s Shimla
A 12-year-old had died by suicide after he was reportedly locked inside a cowshed by an “upper caste” woman for entering their house at a village in Shimla district
Police have arrested the 50-year-old woman accused in connection with suicide of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in Rohru, Shimla, who had allegedly killed self after facing “caste discrimination”.
The arrest comes after the high court on Wednesday declined her pre arrest bail while observing “…a prima facie reading of the status report and FIR shows that the accused had given beatings to the deceased (a member of the Scheduled Caste) and confined him to the cowshed because the deceased happened to touch the house of the accused, and she wanted a sacrificial goat for purification. Hence, the offence was committed because of the caste of the deceased and would not have been committed had the deceased not been a member of the scheduled caste. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude, at this stage, that the petitioner has not prima facie, committed an offence punishable under Section 3(2) (va) of the SC & ST Act.”
“The 50-year-old woman identified as Pushpa Devi had moved an application to surrender before the local court but that too was dismissed and she has been arrested,” confirmed Rohru deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Pranav Chauhan.
She has been booked under sections 107 (abetment of suicide), 115 (voluntary hurt) and 127 (wrongful confinement) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, police said.
A 12-year-old had died by suicide after he was reportedly locked inside a cowshed by an “upper caste” woman for entering their house at a village in Shimla district. As per a complaint filed by the deceased’s father on September 20, he found his son lying unconscious on the evening of September 16 and rushed him to community health centre in Rohru from where he was referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, where he died during treatment the next day. The complainant said that his wife told him their son was harassed and locked inside a cowshed by “upper caste” woman after he entered their house while playing. Traumatised by the harassment, the boy the boy took the step, the complainant said, following which the police registered a case against the women, who have been granted interim bail by the court.
The 14-page status report of the Himachal Pradesh police confirmed that caste-based divisions exist in the village and the forensic evidence indicated that the boy broke out of the cowshed through an iron mesh window.
Already taking strict note of laxity in investigations the chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, had on Wednesday ordered suspension of the investigating officer ASI Manjeet and also had sought explanation from DSP, Rohru.
Dalit organisations hold state-level conventions
Expressing concern over recent incident of caste violence in Himachal, around 40 Dalit organisations from across Himachal Pradesh came together in the state capital on Thursday for a state-level convention.
The convention on caste-based oppression and Dalit rights was held at Kalibari Hall, Shimla. It marked the first major effort to unite diverse Dalit and Scheduled Caste organisations under a single banner to fight growing incidents of such discrimination and social injustice in the state. It concluded with a unanimous call to build a united Joint Dalit Front in Himachal Pradesh, which will act as an umbrella body for all Dalit and allied social organisations.
“Our sole aim is to create a large and inclusive platform where all Dalit organisations and oppressed communities can unite. Whether it’s one individual or an entire community facing discrimination, everyone will find space here to raise their voice. Himachal, once known for its literacy and progressive values, now faces shameful incidents of caste violence and untouchability. This unity is the first step toward ending that,” said Ashish Kumar, convener, Joint Dalit Morcha Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, Kumar said the forum’s primary objective is to end caste-based oppression, untouchability, and discrimination in both Himachal and the country. He emphasised that instead of remaining fragmented along caste or community lines, all Dalit and progressive groups must come together to form a collective resistance.
He further announced that the state-level convention would be followed by similar meetings at the district, block, and panchayat levels, eventually reaching the village level to spread awareness and scientific thinking among people.
