Adivasi youth dies in police custody: Arrest of accused cops sought

By A Representative
In a tragic and disturbing incident, a young Adivasi man, Dharmendra Dangore, died in police custody under suspicious circumstances at the Pandhana police station in Khandwa district. On Thursday, his family members, accompanied by tribal and Dalit organizations from Khandwa, Khargone, and Burhanpur, marched to the Khandwa Superintendent of Police (SP) office to demand immediate arrest and prosecution of the police officers responsible for the alleged custodial killing.
Organizations including the Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), Adivasi Ekta Parishad, Bharat Adivasi Party, and the Tantya Mama Bhil Samaj Seva Mission submitted a memorandum calling for a murder case to be registered against the involved officers and for the victim’s family to be granted security and compensation. Despite these demands, the administration only offered verbal assurances of a judicial inquiry, prompting the organizations to warn of a mass tribal uprising in the Nimar region if no swift action is taken.
According to the family, the incident began on the night of 21 August 2024 at around 9:30 PM, when police personnel from Pandhana station forcibly entered Dharmendra's home and took him away without any arrest warrant, case, or prior notice. Dharmendra, a local mason, had no criminal record. His wife, Ranu Bai, was neither informed about his arrest nor allowed to meet him the following day.
Over the next two days, Dharmendra was allegedly subjected to repeated physical abuse. The police took him to two villages — Nemit and Diwal — where illegal house searches were conducted without a warrant or witnesses. His family claims police took ₹2,000 from Dharmendra, telling them, "We’ll buy liquor with this and kill him tonight."
Despite several pleas, the family was denied access to Dharmendra. Ranu Bai later saw five police personnel brutally beating him with iron rods. That night, police claimed Dharmendra committed suicide by hanging himself with a bedsheet inside the station. However, his family was not informed until the next morning, and they were not allowed to witness the post-mortem.
Villagers who were present during the post-mortem reported severe injuries on Dharmendra's body: blackened soles from beatings, crushed left foot, flat lathi marks on his thigh, bruises on his back and shoulders, broken fingers, and visible contusions on his arms and ribs. A large wound was also found on the back of his head and neck.
This case raises serious questions: Dharmendra was picked up illegally without adhering to Supreme Court guidelines (D.K. Basu judgment), detained without court presentation, and tortured in custody. The manner of his death and the nature of his injuries suggest custodial murder rather than suicide.
Madhya Pradesh has increasingly become a hotspot for atrocities against Adivasi communities. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the state recorded 2,979 cases of crimes against Adivasis in 2022 — the highest in the country — averaging eight incidents daily.
Disturbingly, this is the third case of custodial death of an Adivasi in the Khandwa-Khargone region in just three years. Despite inquiries in previous cases (2021), no substantial action was taken. Only weeks ago, a Pardhi youth died in police custody in Guna district, once again highlighting the impunity enjoyed by police forces.
The consistent failure of the Madhya Pradesh government to act on such cases is being seen as a deliberate encouragement of custodial torture and extrajudicial brutality against marginalized communities. Unless justice is served in Dharmendra Dangore’s case, tribal organizations have warned, the region will witness an unprecedented wave of resistance.

Comments

From snowstorms to heatwaves: India’s alarming climate shift in 2025

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* Climate change is no longer a future concern—it is visibly affecting every country today. Since the beginning of 2025, its effects on India have become starkly evident. These include unseasonal snowfall in hill states, the early onset of heatwaves in southern regions, a shortening spring season, and unusually early and heavy rainfall, among other phenomena.

'Incoherent, dogmatic': Near collapse of international communist movement

By Harsh Thakor* The international communist movement today lacks coherence or organizational unity. Many groups worldwide identify as communist, Marxist-Leninist, or Maoist, but most promote dogmatism, reformism, or capitulation, using revolutionary rhetoric. Some trace their origins to historical betrayals, like Trotsky’s efforts to undermine the Soviet socialist transition or the 1976 coup in China that restored a bourgeoisie under Deng Xiaoping. Others focus on online posturing rather than mass engagement. Small communist organizations exist in places like Turkey, South Asia, and the Philippines, where Maoist-led struggles continue. No international forum unites them, and no entity can forge one.

Priced out of life: The silent crisis in India's healthcare... who pays attention, and who takes responsibility?

By Aysha* Manisha (name changed) has been living with a disease since the birth of her third child—over ten years now—in the New Seemapuri area of North East Delhi. She visited GTB Hospital, where a doctor told her that treatment would cost ₹50,000, as the hospital would charge for the cost of an instrument that needs to be implanted in her body. Several NGOs have visited her home, yet she has received no support for treatment and continues to live with the illness. Manisha is divorced, without access to ration or pension, and lives with her three children by begging outside a temple.

Madhya Pradesh village's inspiring example of how small budget effort conserves water amidst heat wave

By Bharat Dogra Heat waves have been intensifying over vast areas of India in recent days and there are also many reports of water scarcity making the conditions worse for people. However the situation can differ significantly in various villages depending on whether or not significant water conservation efforts have been made. In recent years I have visited several villages of good water conservation efforts where I noticed that even at the time of adverse weather conditions, people of these villages as well as farm and other animals feel important relief in terms of access to adequate water. Due to water and moisture conservation, conditions of farms and pastures is also much better. What is more, with the participation and involvement of people, even quite low budgets have been utilized well to achieve very useful and durable results.

Population explosion: India needs a clear-headed policy, data-driven governance, long-term planning

By N.S. Venkataraman* At the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as a special guest, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau citing two main reasons: India’s rise as the world’s fifth-largest economy and its status as the most populous nation. While economic growth is undoubtedly a point of pride, the latter distinction—India’s population—raises an important question: should this be seen as a strength or a source of growing concern? India has not conducted a national census since 2011, leaving the current population figures largely speculative. Estimates place the population at around 1.4 billion, with projections reaching 1.8 billion by 2050. Despite modest declines in fertility and death rates, the annual population growth remains between 1.5% and 2%. The next census, scheduled for 2026, will provide a more accurate demographic picture, but until then, policymaking remains uninformed by crucial data. Over the past eleven years, the gov...

Victim to cricketing politics, Alvin Kalicharan was a most organized left handed batsman

By Harsh Thakor* On March 21st Alvin Kalicharan celebrates his 75th birthday. Sadly, his exploits have been forgotten or overlooked. Arguably no left handed batsman was technically sounder or more organized than this little man. Kalicharan was classed as a left-handed version of Rohan Kanhai. Possibly no left-handed batsmen to such a degree blend technical perfection with artistry and power.

Vishwamitri river revival? New report urges action on pollution, flood risks, wildlife protection

By A Representative The Vishwamitri Committee, formed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission, has submitted two supplementary reports on June 5, 2025, detailing efforts to rejuvenate the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara, considered Gujarat's cultural capital. The reports (click here and here ) respond to directives from a May 26, 2025, GSHRC hearing. Comprising environmentalists, urban planners, and zoologists like Neha Sarwate, Rohit Prajapati, Dr. Ranjitsinh Devkar, Dr. Jitendra Gavali, and Mitesh Panchal, the committee focuses on mitigating pollution, stabilizing riverbanks, managing flood risks, and preserving biodiversity, particularly for crocodiles and turtles.

Mumbai jetty project: Is Colaba residential associations' outrage manufactured?

By Gajanan Khergamker When the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) filed an affidavit before the Bombay High Court defending its long-planned public jetty project, it did more than just respond to a writ petition by a Colaba Residents Association. It exposed, albeit inadvertently, a far more corrosive phenomenon festering beneath the surface of urban civil life across India—a phenomenon where residential associations, many unregistered and some self-professed custodians of ‘public sentiment,’ conspire to stall governance under the veil of representation.

Central London discussion to spotlight LGBTQ+ ex-Muslim rights and persecution

By A Representative On June 13, 2025, the Dissident Club in Central London will host a public discussion to mark the 18th anniversary of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) and to commemorate World Refugee Day. The event, scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, will feature speakers Ali Malik, Maryam Namazie, and Taha Siddiqui, who are expected to address the intersecting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ ex-Muslims globally.

Search This Blog