Cases like Hyderabad veterinarian’s rape-murder to Unnao rape case show that crimes against women are committed in huge numbers every day, bringing home the reality that this is a national emergency and the society collectively needs to ensure that this rape culture is not tolerated at any cost.
A 2017 report which was released in 2019 by the National Crime Research Bureau (NCRB) shows that there is an alarming increase in registered crimes against women.
On an average, around 1,000 crimes are registered every day, over 3.5 lakh in one year. Out of this, 93 women are victims of rape every day among which one-third are minors. Around 87,924 women registered cases of sexual harassment which is on an average 241 a day.
What is alarming about the above statistics is the fact that these numbers reflect only those cases that are actually reported while there are thousands and more that go unreported daily. What happens to the accused and the legal path in most cases is unknown.
1) Delhi rape case (Nirbhaya) 2012
Where: Delhi, India
When: December 16, 2012
Sentence:
- Supreme Court gave the death sentence to 4 convicts on May 5, 2017
- Juvenile convict served the maximum imprisonment of 3 years under laws current when the crime was committed
Verdict: Guilty
Current Situation: 3 convicts await death penalty, 1 killed himself in the jail, one convict has sought mercy from President of India.
The Delhi gang rape in 2012 wherein a woman was beaten, gang-raped, and tortured in a private bus in which she was traveling with her friend was a wake-up call for society to act upon safety for women. There were six others in the bus, including the driver, all of whom raped the woman and beat her friend. Eleven days after the assault, she was transferred to a hospital in Singapore for emergency treatment but could not survive.
2) Kathua Rape Case 2018
Where: Jammu and Kashmir
When: January 10 – January 17, 2018
Verdict: Six of the seven accused were convicted
Conviction: Three convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment, the other three were sentenced to five years in jail for destroying evidence
Motive: It appears that the aim was to drive out the nomadic Muslim community of Bakarwals from Hiranagar Tehsil
Current Situation: Matter on appeal
The Kathua rape was an incident where an 8-year-old girl was gang-raped in Rasana village near Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2018. A charge sheet was filed, the accused were arrested and the trial began in Kathua on April 16, 2018. She could not be found for a week before her body was discovered by the villagers. The incident created hue and cry in the nation and charges were filed against eight men in April 2018.
3) Unnao Rape Case 2017
Where: Unnao, Uttar Pradesh
When: June 4, 2017
Conviction: Five have been accused in the case
Current Situation: Matter in the Supreme Court
This case is another major rape case that made headlines wherein a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped. The CBI took over the Unnao rape case in April 2018. Three cases were filed:
(a) Sexual assault of a minor
(b) assault and death of rape survivor’s father and
(c) cross-complaint filed by MLA’s brother of assault allegedly by rape survivor’s relatives
Two charge sheets were filed by CBI in an official statement the agency said that it had filed a charge sheet against five accused. The first charge was filed by CBI on July 11, 2018, and accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar MLA from Uttar Pradesh, of the rape. The second charge sheet was filed on July 13, 2018, and accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother, three policemen and five other individuals of framing the Unnao rape survivor’s father as the perpetrator.
The rape survivor tried to immolate herself at the residence of the CM of Uttar Pradesh on April 8, 2018. Her father died in judicial custody and this bought public attention to the case.
A truck collision on July 28, 2019, resulting in the serious injury of the victim and death of two relatives revealed that the family had been threatened and had written the Chief Justice of India for help.
On July 31, 2019, SC and Chief Justice acknowledged the case.
4. Hyderabad Rape Case 2019
Where: Hyderabad, Telangana
When: November 29, 2019
Conviction and Current Situation: All four accused shot dead while trying to flee
In a recent horrifying incident, a 27-year-old veterinarian who was waiting for her two-wheeler with a flat tyre to get fixed at night was sexually assaulted, raped and killed in Hyderabad on November 29. Four people related to the incident were detained in connection with the case.
According to police, after killing her, the accused took her body to an under-construction bridge a few kilometres away and set it on fire.
The encounter took place near the area where the accused allegedly raped the woman and killed her on the morning of December 6, 2019.
5. Unnao Rape Case 2019
Where: Unnao, Uttar Pradesh
When: December 5, 2019
Conviction and Current Situation: Among the two rape accused, one was on the run and the other one was released on bail.
A woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district was set on fire on December 5 morning when she was on her way to court for the hearing of a rape case she had filed against two men from her village in March.
According to police, she was going to a local court for hearing in the rape case and all five men including the two rape-accused, have been arrested.
In March, the woman had filed an FIR against the two men in the Unnao district, accusing them of raping her and filming the act. The FIR was filed in Rae Bareli district after the intervention of a local court.
These cases show that it is imperative for all stakeholders starting from the families, educational institutions, local bodies, law enforcement agencies, and the Judiciary to come forward and make active efforts to eradicate this social evil.
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