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Outrage mounts, 11 held for stripping, parading woman in Rajasthan

Sep 03, 2023 04:40 AM IST

Seven people have been arrested and four others detained in Rajasthan, India, after a pregnant woman was stripped and paraded naked by her husband and in-laws.

Seven people were arrested and four others, including a minor, were detained on Saturday after a 20-year-old pregnant woman was stripped and paraded naked by her husband and in-laws in Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan, police said. The incident, a video of which has since gone viral, soon triggered a massive uproar and political anger in a state due for elections later this year.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot met the victim on Saturday and promised her stringent action against the accused, along with a government job and <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>10 lakh aid
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot met the victim on Saturday and promised her stringent action against the accused, along with a government job and 10 lakh aid

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot met the victim on Saturday and promised her stringent action against the accused, along with a government job and 10 lakh aid. A five-member special investigation team has been formed by the state police to probe the case, an officer familiar with the matter said.

The incident took place in Nichlakota village of Pratapgarh on August 31, when the accused found the victim at the house of a man, identified as Shiva.

“Fifteen days ago, the woman allegedly fled with a man (Shiva) who lived about 3km away from her in-laws’ house in Nichlakota village. Her husband and in-laws found her at the man’s house on August 31 and forcefully brought her back to the village. The victim was then stripped, beaten, and paraded naked in front of the entire village,” additional director general of police (crime), Dinesh MN, said.

The woman, who is seven months pregnant, was later dropped at her father’s house. She approached the police late on Friday and lodged a complaint against 10 people, including her husband and father-in-law.

Also read: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot backtracks on his judiciary remarks

“They (the accused) ruined everything... They beat her up and tore her clothes. Later, they came to drop her home...,” the woman’s father told reporters.

An FIR was subsequently lodged and the accused were booked under sections 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), 498 (enticing or taking away a married woman), 354 A (punishment for a man who engages in unwelcome and explicit sexual behaviour), and 354 B (assaulting or using criminal force to any woman with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 294 (recites or utters obscene song or words), 365 (abducting a person with an intend to wrongfully confine), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentionally insult and thereby gives provocation to any person), 506 (offence of criminal intimidation), 120 B (party to a criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 4/6 of the Indecent Representation of Women Prohibit Act along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (punishment for publishing obscene material in electronic form).

“The woman was pregnant at the time of the assault. She approached us late on Friday. Hours later, we apprehended the prime accused — her husband Kanha Meena — and his two aides Nathu Meena and Beliya Meena. The three were, however, taken to the hospital after they sustained injuries while trying to flee. They will be arrested once they recover,” inspector general of police (Banswara range), S Parimala, said.

So far, a total of seven accused have been arrested in the case — Pintu Bheriya, Khetiya Meena, Motilal Meena, Puniya Meena, Kesra Meena, Suraj Meena, and Netiya Panchiya, while four others — Kanha Meena, Nathu Meena and Beniya Meena and a minor — have been detained.

“Three of the prime accused, including the victim’s husband, stripped her while other eight others, including a minor, have been charged with kidnapping her from Shiva’s house,” said ADGP Dinesh M N, adding that “Pintu uploaded the video on social media first”.

“We also suspect a few more people whose names were not registered in the FIR by the woman but were seen in the video trying to provoke the accused,” he said.

Director general of police Umesh Mishra later formed a five-member special investigating team (SIT), led by MN, to probe the matter. “The team will submit a detailed report to the state government and the police headquarters after collecting all the technical and scientific evidences followed by the investigation,” said Mishra.

Chief minister Gehlot took note of the incident late on Friday. “Such incidents have no place in a civilised society,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“An SIT has been formed... I spoke to the victim’s family and assured them that justice would prevail... I offered her a government job... And we will make a fixed deposit of 10 lakh...,” he told reporters after meeting the woman.

Condemning the incident, the National Commission for Women posted on X: “NCW vehemently condemns the harrowing incident in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan. A woman was molested, stripped, and recorded on video. Despite it happening two days ago, police inaction is unacceptable. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has instructed the state’s DGP to promptly arrest the culprits and invoke necessary IPC provisions. We demand a comprehensive report within five days.”

NCW has also announced that it will send representatives in Dhariyawad to investigate the matter, while the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission has directed superintendent of police to send a case report.

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