Unidentified people attacked the car of an activist in Hyderabad on Friday after she launched a campaign for the arrest of five men seen in a WhatsApp video taking turns to rape a woman.
Sunitha Krishnan, a gang-rape survivor who runs the anti-trafficking NGO Prajwala, said her vehicle was pelted with stones following her appearance on a television programme to announce the drive for apprehending the men who can be seen smiling and posing for the camera while committing the crime.
Krishnan said the attack on her car smashing the rear window was an attempt to intimidate her, but police said the reasons were unknown while an investigation had been launched.
The activist said she received the footage, which was being circulated on WhatsApp, through a friend. She edited the video to protect the victim’s identity and posted it on YouTube where it went viral. It was later pulled off the site.
Krishnan, who was raped as a teenager and campaigns to protect women from trafficking, made several posts on her Facebook page requesting people to help trace the rapists.
“On checking the video I found it was not enacted but a true video which some ‘sicko’ while raping had recorded it, in all probability to threaten and intimidate the victim,” she said in a post. “I cut short the video, protected the identity of the victim...but the rapist is for you to see.”
{{/usCountry}}“On checking the video I found it was not enacted but a true video which some ‘sicko’ while raping had recorded it, in all probability to threaten and intimidate the victim,” she said in a post. “I cut short the video, protected the identity of the victim...but the rapist is for you to see.”
{{/usCountry}}Krishnan said she would not be cowed down by such attacks and would continue to expose criminals through her Shame The Rapist Campaign.
Police officials say the video does not pertain to Andhra Pradesh and seems to be shot in north India.