2 crimes a day against tribals in Chhattisgarh, 'another Vyapam' uncovered in MP

Chhattisgarh is witnessing a sharp rise in crimes against tribals. According to official figures, a total of 721 cases of crimes against Adivasis were registered in Chhatisgarh in 2014. Out of these, 111 were rape cases.

The state has the fourth highest number of crimes against Adivasis. In terms of rapes committed against Adivasi women, Chhattisgarh is ranked second.

This amounts roughly to 2 crimes against tribals every day and a case of rape every third day.

In addition to the 111 rape cases, there were 88 cases of tribal women being molested.

475 cases cases were registered under the SC/ST Act last year but experts say that atrocities against Adivasis seldom get registered. When the victims are women, the chances of it going unreported are even higher.

Not only that, the number of Adivasi undertrials in Chhattisgarh state prisons is also on the rise.

More than 150 such cases are still lingering, even though a high-powered government committee had recommended that they be expedited.

For instance, out of 546 undertrials in Jagdalpur jail, 512 are tribals. Kanker jail has 144 undertrials arrested in Naxal-related cases out of which 134 are tribals. The situation is no different in other jails in the state.

The Opposition has hit out at the Chhattisgarh government, calling it "anti-tribal".

"The Raman Singh government is anti-tribal. It is not serious about their problems. It should change its approach and intent regarding Adivasis," says senior Congress leader, Ajit Jogi.

However, the minister for tribal affairs Kedar Kashyap differs.

"Adivasis are completely secure in Chhattisgarh. The government is committed to their protection. I am not aware of the exact data of crimes against them," he says.

Kashyap's claims notwithstanding, the Union home ministry has expressed concerns about the steep increase in crimes against tribals.

According to ADG Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia, the ministry has issued several advisories to the state government in this regard.

The fire of Vyapam scam has still not been doused and yet another education-related scam has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh.

The Lokayukta and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state are conducting a confidential inquiry into an alleged scholarship scam.

The scam is pegged at around Rs 500 crore. However, the officers of the two agencies say it could turn out to be a bigger fraud than Vyapam.

According to reports, many colleges usurped the money meant for providing scholarships to the students in collusion with officials from the departments of education and tribal affairs.

[twittable]MP scholarship scam is pegged at Rs 500 crore. But officials say it could be even bigger than Vyapam[/twittable]

Many scholarships were drawn against the name of a single student by many colleges. The deserving students had no inkling of this malpractice.

According to sources, the scam has been going on for years and kins of many top officials and politicians could be involved,

Lokayukta and EOW have registered dozens of cases so far in cities like Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar and Chatarpur.

They have also asked for a detailed report from education and the tribal affairs department. The Lokayukta has found evidence of misappropriation of scholarship money in over 40 paramedical colleges in the state.

An alert citizen saved a 10-year-old girl from abduction in Hindaun city of Karauli district in Rajasthan.

The girl was being taken away in the Sawai Madhopur-Mathura passenger train by a man who was in the garb of a Sadhu.

However, a woman traveling in the same train got suspicious when she noticed the semi-conscious child in a school uniform with the Sadhu.

When the girl came to her senses, the woman spoke to her and asked he where she had come from..

The girl gave the woman a mobile number, which helped the latter contact her relatives.

Meanwhile, the Sadhu fled when he saw that his plot had been foiled. The woman then handed over the girl to the police at Bharatpur station.

She was later taken back to Hindaun city by her relatives.

Translated by Deepak Sharma