Supreme Court Unhappy with Haryana Over Dalit Boycott Case: Warns of Contempt Proceedings

The Supreme Court has issued a stern warning to the Haryana government, threatening contempt proceedings if it fails to cooperate with the court-appointed panel investigating the alleged social boycott of Dalits in Bhatia village of Hisar district. 

A bench headed by Justice MM Sundaresh expressed displeasure after reviewing a letter dated January 31, 2025, written by retired DGP Kamendra Prasad, which highlighted a lack of cooperation from state authorities. 

"Despite efforts being made, the state is not willing to cooperate. We want to make it clear that any lack of cooperation from the state will lead to contempt proceedings," the bench stated while scheduling the next hearing six weeks later. 

State Promises Full Support

In response to the court's concerns, the Haryana government's counsel assured the bench that all necessary assistance, including travel and accommodation arrangements for the court-appointed officers, would be provided. 

However, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the petitioners, alleged that the Supreme Court's orders had not been followed, and the Haryana government had failed to provide any logistical support. He noted that the two-member committee had communicated three times that they were ready to visit if logistical support was provided. 

Handpump Dispute Led to Violence

The case dates back to June 2017, when members of a "dominant community" allegedly attacked a group of Dalit boys over the use of a handpump in a village in Hisar. The attack resulted in six people being injured and hospitalized, after which an FIR was registered.

On October 16, 2024, the Supreme Court ordered an independent investigation by two former DGPs from Uttar Pradesh into allegations of social boycott of Dalits by the dominant community in the village. 

Investigation Panel Appointment

The court appointed Kamendra Prasad (1981 batch IPS) and Vikram Chand Goel (1975 batch IPS), both former DGPs, to conduct an independent investigation into the current situation and file a status report within three months. The report was to indicate not only the present situation but also steps to be taken regarding allegations of social boycott of Dalits made in 2017.

Clean Chit by Haryana Police 

The bench was informed last October that no unpleasant incidents had occurred in recent days and a "normal situation" prevailed. It was also brought to the bench's attention that a charge sheet had been filed on August 20, 2017, though no arrests had been made. The Haryana Police had given a clean chit to six out of seven accused, and their names were not included in the charge sheet.

The court's warning highlights ongoing concerns about social discrimination and the judicial system's efforts to ensure justice for marginalized communities in Haryana.