Basudeo Manjhi (35) s/o late Siwan Manjhi is r/o Gahlour, P.S Atari in Gaya Dist. is daily wage labourer and belongs to Mushar community. The Gahlour village is predominantly inhabited b y Mushar families. This village is 70 km away from district head quarters.  The Mushar community depends on daily wage for their livelihood. Thus they migrate to neibouring states and districts to work in brick kiln. The victim Basudeo Manjhi (35) s/o late Siwan Manjhi also went to Nawada and started working in Chetak brick kiln which is located at Laxmi Vihoga village under Rajauli police station in Nawada Dist.

On 29/02/2008, Basudeo Manjhi went to Rajauli Bazar to buy ration for them. While returning he got into a tractor of Balmiki Prasad (35) s/o Rambrich Mahto, a brick kiln owner r/o Bahadurpur under P.S. Rajauli in Dist. Nawada. It is to his fate that Basudeo suddenly fell down from the tractor which caused fracture on his left leg. It is learnt from victim’s statement that the reason behind the incident is mysterious, however it is suspected that there was a conspiration for murder. A case has been registered against the brick kiln owner on 01/03/2008, No. 24/08, u/s 279,337,338 IPC. The victims have not received any compensation by the administration. The case is under trial in CJM Rajauli.  

Diseased Sanjay Ranbansi (25) s/o Ram padria Devi (60) is r/o Vijaynagar village under Roh police station in Nawada Dist. The victim belongs to Rajwar community (SC) and is a daily wage labourer.

The government has installed a solar light in Vijaynagar village where there are about 50 dalit families belonging to Mushar community. On 9^th February 2008, in the night about 15 youth from Yadav community from Samretha village which is 2 km away from Vijaynagar went to steal Solar light. Fortunately some Dalit people happened to know about the matter and shouted to chase out the thieves. The Yadav youth ran away living pair of slipper there. The Dalit people could recognize some of the Yadav while running away.

On the following day at about 5.00 a.m, while Sanjay Yadav was going to the village market, Diseased Sanjay Ranbansi saw him and told the Mushar community that Sanjay Yadav was one of the thieves who had gone last night for stealing solar light. This was over heard by Sanjay Yadav while passing through, so he ran away to Vijaynagar village to hide himself, but the dalit people caught hold of him and called for a panchayat meeting. The panchayat took a decision that Sanjay Yadav would be sent to jail, however the Chaukidar and village Sarpanch let Sanjay Yadav go to his village.

On hearing the news from Sanjay Yadav, the Yadav youth namely Sanjay Yadav, Guli Yadav, Jawahar Yadav and other 13 dominant caste people of Samretha village, with well armed went to Vijaynagar village and attacked dalit basti and Sanjay Ranbansi was shot dead. A case was filed against perpetrators. No. 4/08, u/s 147,148,149,332,302 IPC & 3(1)(x), 3(2)(iv) of SC/ST (PoA) Act 1989. So far the victims have not received police protection. No Compensation has been given to the victims. Charge sheet has been filed. The case is under trial.

Young Sanjay Rajbanshi (25) s/o Lalu Rajbansh held from Nawada District was allegedly shot dead by the dominant villagers in the presence of Villagers. The incident relates to the village – Vijay Nagar, P.S – Roh under Nawada District of Bihar.The population of this village mainly consists of Rajwar and Musahar Community. On the other hand the perpetrators belongs to Samrotha Village which is barely 2 Kilometers from the Vijay Nagar i.e., place of incident. On 09.02.08 state government installed a solar energy light system in Village -Vijay Nagar. Nevertheless, the installation of solar energy light in the village prompted Yadav community to interfere and destruct the Solar light. In the night of 09.02.08 at around 12 o’ clock a mob of 15 people, belonging to Yadav community came to the village in order to steal the solar light. Consequently, Mr. Prabhu Rajbanshi form the Vijay Nagar Village saw that one person is trying to steal the light from the pole and around 15 people were standing below the pole waiting for the person stealing the light. Looking at this, Prabhu Rajbanshi immediately called out ‘Catch the thieves! Catch the thieves!’ Mean while the villagers from the Vijay Nagar came out of their houses and threw accused persons out of the village.

Next day morning Prabhu Rajbanshi saw Sanjay Yadav one of the accused and informed villagers that he was the person who came last night in order to steal the Light. On hearing this Sanjay Yadav ran away and took shelter in a nearby house belonging to Mushar Community. Consequently the villagers belonging to Musahar and Rajwar community caught hold of Sanjay Yadav and produced him before the Village head and Chowkidar in order to lodge a criminal complaint.  But for some reasons village head and Chowkidar did not lodge a complaint and freed him.

Same day on 10.02.08 a mob belonging to Yadav community attacked Vijay nagar village and shot dead Sanjay Rajbanshi. They also lit fire in houses belonging to Dalits. After the incident 6 accused and Chowkidar were arrested and sent to jail. But still the villagers from vijay nagar are receiving life threats.  Charge sheet not submitted. No compensation. No TA/DA 8 Accused arrested and they are in the jail. (Rs. 10,000/- granted for victim but not yet received)

Rajpati Jatav belongs to Dalit community. She has faced poverty, discrimination and humiliation at every step of her life. Her father Daya Ram Jatav was a daily wages laborer but he lost his legs in some accident and now lives at home. Rajpati never went to school due to their poor economic condition and discrimination done with her by other caste people. She stays at home and helps her mother in daily household chores like cleaning, dusting, washing clothes, bringing fuel & fodder from jungle etc. On 7^th February 2008, Rajpati, with her mother went to their fields to get some fodder for the cattle. At around 2 pm, when she was coming back from the jungle with a bunch of fodder on her head, the perpetrator namely Sumaan Singh came there from backside and caught her in his arms and dragged her in the mustard fields.  Rajpati was frightened with this sudden attack and started shouting. Sumaan Singh clutched her mouth with his hand and stripped off her clothes, opened his pant and raped poor Rajpati.

Meanwhile her aunts Meena and Santosh were picking leaves nearby; they heard some noise and when tried to locate the place from where it was coming, they saw foliage waving. They rushed to the side where they saw Sumaan Singh lying over Rajpati. When Sumaan Singh perceived the two ladies coming towards him, he ran away leaving Rajpati in miserable condition. Her aunts made her wear clothes and brought to her grandparents on their way narrated everything to them. Rajpati came home with her grandparents and mother. This incident spread out like fire in the village. With the help of some villagers, Rajpati’s parents on the same day registered FIR No- 55/08 under section 376 IPC and 3(1)(xii) SC/ST Act against the accused. Local police registered their case and next day Rajpati was sent for medical examination. Police was informed that earlier also Sumaan Singh has been involved in these kinds of crimes with other women. When Sumaan Singh’s family came to know about the registration of FIR, they threatened Rajpati’s family to compromise and not to take further legal actions. After few days, when Rajpati’s mother Mrs. Son Dai was going to her farm, Sumaan Singh’s mother and sister threw stones over her and challenged her to do what they can. On 18^th February 2008, Sumaan Singh was arrested.

Police registered the case and sent the victim for her medical examination for age and rape. Police arrested the accused on 18^th February 2008. The accused was also sent for medical examination, where his age came out to be between 16 and 17 years. Clothes of victim and accused wore at the time of incident were also seized as evidences and were sent for FSL testing.  Challan no.35/08 was submitted under court on 3^rd march 2008. Victim’s sentence was recorded under section 164 of Cr.P.C.

After the incident, culprit’s mother and sister blocked Rajpati’s mother’s way and threw stones at her and abused her in the name of caste but police was unable to take any action in this regard as the culprit was not arrested after a long period of the incident, thus culprit’s family forced the victim’s family to compromise and withdraw the case. They mentally and physically tortured and pressurized the victim’s family to compromise in the case. Police when informed about it did nothing in this regard and failed to provide safety and security to them. Administration provided her with a monetary compensation of Rs. 50,000/- for which she was eligible and entitled under the rule 12 (4) of SC/ST Act, 1989.

The superintendent of Police ordered to arrest the culprit as soon as possible. If the culprit is not found, then his family members should be arrested. He assured the victim to help her in any case. Medical examination was done and the officer said that no opinion can be given regarding rape and counted on FSL report. Medical for examining the age of the culprit was done where his age was found to be between 16 and 17 years. The culprit’s family when informed about the incident by the villagers was terrified and instead of reprimanding the accused, blamed the villagers and abused them and threatened them to kill. After some days of the incident, culprit’s mother and sister blocked Rajpati’s mother’s way and abused her and threw stones on her. Victims alleged that culprit’s family made him to run away from there.

Due to this incident, victim is in trauma. Now she is so threatened that she does not go out of her house. She has confined herself in home. She considers herself to be wholly responsible for what happened with her. Her family is very much tensed about her future. The case is still pending for hearing.