Hyderabad: Telangana for Peace and Unity (TPU), a citizens forum, unequivocally condemns the murder of a Dalit youth, Billipuram Nagaraju (26). The victim was allegedly murdered for marrying a Muslim woman against the wishes of her family on Wednesday night, in Saroornagar.
TPU conveys their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased as well as to his partner Syed Ashrin Sultana.
As per the police, a case has been registered under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against two relatives of the woman, the main accused. Ashrin said that five people were involved in the murder. Two people have so far been arrested in connection with the murder.
TPU has demanded immediate arrest of all the accused involved in the murder. The forum also demanded that a case be registered under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The forum also sought protection be provided to Ashrin and Nagaraju’s family.
According to the statement released by TPU, Telangana has been witnessing a steady rise in the number of killings of Dalit men who marry outside their caste or religion. However, families of the bride in
multiple cases have assaulted and/or murdered the groom who identify themselves from marginalized caste.
“This is a gross violation of both the right to life and liberty of the people from oppressed space as well as grave gender violence on woman who exercise her free will to marry a person of her choice.” said the forum’s statement.
The forum appealed to the state government to ensure that strict legal action is taken in the current case
as well as in previous cases of similar nature.
Some of the signatories of the statement are:
- Khalida Parveen; Social activist, Amoomat society
- Rama Melkote; Activist and retired professor at Osmania university
- Sabah Quadri; Social activist, Help Hyderabad
- Jeevan Kumar; Human rights forum (HRF Telangana and Andhra Pradesh)
- Afsar Jahan; Advocate and social activist
- Padmaja Shaw; Retired professor at Osmania university
- Kaneez Fathima; Civil rights activist
- Dr Sujatha Surepally; Dalit women’s collective
- P Shankar; Dalit bahujan front (DBF)
- Majid; Social activist
- Khatija Khan; Social activist
- Kanneganti Ravi; Rythu swarajya vedika (RSV)
- Maria Tabassum; Social activist and educationalist
- S Deepthi; Dalit women’s collective (DWC)
- Ali Asghar; ASEEM
- K Sajaya; Women and transgender organizations joint action committee
- SQ Masood; RTI and social activist
- Ashalatha; Mahila kisan adhikar manch (MAKAAM)
- Farzana Khan; My choices foundation (MCF)
- K Satyavati; Bhumika
- Noorjahan; Social activist
- Jhansi; Progressive organization of women (POW)
- Susie Tharu; Retired professor
- Meera Sanghamitra; National alliance of people’s movements (NAPM)
- Vimala Morthala; Independent rights activist
- K. Anuradha; Aman vedika
- Kiran Vissa; Rythu swarajya vedika (RSV) and NAPM
- Sumitra; Women’s rights activist, Ankuram
- Sreeharsha Thanneru; Farmer’s rights activist, RSV
- Sudha Goparaju; Feminist activist
- Abhijeet; Theatre activist
- VV Jyothi; Independent journalist
- Ambika; Social activist
