State vs Ankit Balyan, Pradeep Balyan, Shiva Tyagi — UP bonded labour and human trafficking case

Eighteen bonded labourers, including two children, were rescued from a brick kiln at Bevinahalli village in Mysuru district, Karnataka. Three kiln owners have been arrested and charged with bonded labour, human trafficking and related offences. Workers reported being trapped for extended periods after receiving advances.

A 65-year-old accused was convicted and awarded death penalty for rape and murder of a minor. The case gained attention for the speed of investigation and trial. Police collected evidence from multiple sources and coordinated with forensic experts. A comprehensive chargesheet of 1,200 pages was filed on May 16.

A 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh in September 2020. The CBI filed a chargesheet in December 2020 against four accused persons. In March 2023, an SC/ST court acquitted three of the four accused; one was convicted of culpable homicide, and gang-rape charges were dropped against all accused.

Two lawyers were assaulted, suffering head injuries. The Supreme Court directed Delhi police to add charges of attempt to murder and grievous hurt under BNS, and to transfer the investigation to the Crime Branch for an impartial probe.

Kamji Gond died allegedly as a result of custodial assault by police officers in Ballia district, Varanasi. A murder FIR was registered against two police constables, a village head, and three others. The case is under inquiry and the accused police officers have been suspended.

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped, gang-raped, and murdered inside an under-construction mall in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension. Two persons, including an 18-year-old labourer named Vinay, were arrested in connection with the crime. The victim's body was recovered from the basement/sub-basement of the building with multiple injury marks.