Tag Archives: human rights

Newsbeat

American Woman Rescued After Being Chained in India

American Woman Found Starving and Chained to Tree in India

An American woman was found chained to a tree and screaming in a forest in Maharashtra, India. Lalita Kayi, 50, was discovered a week ago in Sindhudurg district after locals heard her cries for help. They notified the police, who freed her by cutting off the chain.

Kayi, who was very weak, was taken to a hospital where her health has since improved. On Friday, she was moved to a psychiatric facility for further care. Kayi has told the police that her husband chained her to the tree and left her there without food or water.

Police are searching for her husband in Tamil Nadu, based on the information she provided. Despite her rescue, many details about the case are still unclear.

Pandurang Gawkar, who found Kayi, said he heard her screaming while grazing his cattle. He described seeing her leg tied to the tree and her desperate condition. Villagers and police quickly arrived to help.

Police discovered Kayi had her passport, an Indian ID card, a mobile phone, a tablet, and 31,000 rupees with her. This suggests theft was not the motive. They noted it was fortunate Gawkar was in the area, as the forest is vast and she might have remained unnoticed otherwise.

Kayi was first taken to a local hospital, then transferred to a hospital in Goa. Doctors reported she had leg wounds and appeared to have a mental health condition. On Friday, her condition improved enough for her to be moved to a psychiatric hospital in Ratnagiri.

Kayi, who speaks only English, was a ballet dancer and yoga teacher from the US, specifically from Massachusetts. She moved to India about 10 years ago to study yoga and meditation, where she met her husband. Police believe they may have had a falling out.

Kayi has been unable to explain clearly how she ended up in the forest. She initially communicated with the police and doctors by writing notes. She claimed she was tied to the tree for 40 days without food or water and was given an injection that locked her jaw.

Police are investigating her claims, including the possibility of her surviving without food or water for so long. They have filed an attempted murder case against her husband and are investigating in Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Maharashtra. The US embassy in Delhi has declined to comment on the case due to privacy regulations.

Source.

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Newsbeat

Woman Alleges Police Torture in Shadnagar

Sunita, a resident of Ambedkar Colony in Shadnagar, has accused the Shadnagar police of torturing her. She was brought to the police station after being linked to a theft case involving gold and cash stolen from a house on July 24.

Nagendra from Ambedkarnagar reported the theft, claiming that 24 tolas of gold and Rs. 2 lakh in cash were stolen.

Sunita said the police brought her, her husband Bheemaiah, and their 13-year-old son to the station. Bheemaiah was later released. Sunita alleged that police officers tied her hands and legs with ropes and beat her with leather belts while demanding a confession. This happened in front of her son. After the torture, Sunita was released and sent home.

The police found one tola of gold and Rs. 4,000 in cash from Sunita. She was then allowed to go home.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, B. Rajesh, said an inquiry into the incident has been ordered. The Cyberabad Commissioner of Police, Avinash Mohanty, has temporarily moved Shadnagar Detective Inspector Rami Reddy to the Commissioner’s office while the investigation is ongoing. ACP Shadnagar is conducting the inquiry, and further actions will be based on its findings.

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Newsbeat

Hyderabad Activist Questions Police Ops

Hyderabad Social Activist Raises Concern Over Police Operations

A social activist in Hyderabad has raised significant concerns regarding the recent police operations conducted by the Hyderabad Police. The activist, S. Q. Masood, has written to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, DGP Ravi Gupta, and City Police Commissioner K. Sreenivasa Reddy, urging a re-evaluation of strategies to ensure that all law enforcement activities comply with legal boundaries.

Masood highlighted that certain police actions, such as ‘Mission Chabutra’, ‘Cordon and Search’, and ‘Counseling of Pedestrians’ special drives, have raised serious questions about their legality and ethicality. He emphasized that these operations not only violate citizens’ rights but also damage the reputation of the police department and the government.

The activist pointed out instances where police personnel were seen using abusive language, resorting to physical violence against individuals sitting outside their homes, and harassing street vendors and food delivery executives. Masood stressed that the right to move freely and peacefully assemble is a fundamental right that must be respected within the confines of the law.

In conclusion, Masood emphasized the importance of re-evaluating police strategies to ensure that all law enforcement activities are conducted with utmost respect for human rights and dignity. This call for a review aims to address concerns over potential violations of legal boundaries in policing operations in Hyderabad.

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Newsbeat

5th Digital Citizens Summit to be held at T-Hub from Nov 2

Hyderabad: The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), in collaboration with the Center for Development Policy and Practice (CDPP), is organizing the 5th Digital Citizens Summit (DCS) from November 2 to 4 at T-Hub, Hyderabad.

The summit will focus on addressing crucial topics related to internet governance, human rights, and the future of the internet. The theme of this year’s summit is “Commoning the Internet for a Vibrant Democracy.”

The DCS is expected to bring together a diverse range of participants, including tech and social innovation experts, academicians, practitioners, civil society organizations, and government stakeholders.

The summit will feature presentations from research scholars and experts on topics such as data ownership and data protection, AI regulations, AI dark patterns, and the digitization of the Indian judiciary system.

In addition, the DCS will also host thirty different workshops on a variety of topics related to digital citizenship.
The 5th DCS is expected to be a valuable platform for discussing the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, and for developing solutions to ensure that the internet is a force for good in society.

Highlights

  • The 5th Digital Citizens Summit will be held at T-Hub, Hyderabad, from November 2 to 4, 2023.
  • The summit will focus on addressing crucial topics related to internet governance, human rights, and the future of the internet.
  • The theme of this year’s summit is “Commoning the Internet for a Vibrant Democracy.”
  • The DCS is expected to bring together a diverse range of participants, including tech and social innovation experts, academicians, practitioners, civil society organizations, and government stakeholders.
  • The summit will feature presentations from research scholars and experts, as well as thirty different workshops on a variety of topics related to digital citizenship.

Continue reading 5th Digital Citizens Summit to be held at T-Hub from Nov 2 →

Newsbeat

Saroornagar Murder: Suspects Awarded Life Imprisonment

In a swift and decisive move, a fast track court in Hyderabad sentenced two persons to life imprisonment for the murder of a 25-year-old marketing professional. The convicted persons, Syed Mobin Ahmed (28) and Mohd. Masood Ahmed, bore a grudge against the victim, B. Nagaraju, for marrying their sister after converting her religion against the family’s wishes.

On May 4, 2022, the duo hacked Nagaraju to death on the road while he was riding his bike with his wife. The Saroornagar police booked a case and arrested the suspects.

During the investigation, the police collected statements from eyewitnesses and circumstantial witnesses, meticulously documenting their accounts. They also gathered crucial evidence using technical data support. In a significant development, the Test Identification Parade (TIP) was conducted, and multiple eyewitnesses positively identified the suspects as the perpetrators.

The fast track court system established through joint efforts with the government and justice was swift. The trial was completed within a year and the sentence was announced.

The conviction and sentencing of the accused in the Saroornagar murder case is a welcome development. It sends a strong message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly.