Photos: India takes to the streets in protest over Kathua, Unnao rape cases

As public outrage over the Kathua and Unnao rape cases grew in recent weeks, people in several cities across India took to the streets demanding safety for women and swift action from the government and judiciary against those accused in both cases. In Kathua an 8-year-old nomadic girl was held captive over a number of days in a temple, raped and killed in January while in Unnao, a teenager was allegedly raped by a BJP lawmaker last year with her father dying in police custody earlier in April. Both cases have shaken the nation in ways similar to the December 2012 gang rape in Delhi, raised questions anew of women’s safety in the country.

Updated on: Apr 18, 2018 11:43 AM IST

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People took to the streets across the country over the past two weeks protesting against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district and the rape of a teenager in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district. Condemning the government’s response in both cases, demonstrators were out demanding swift trials and strict punishment for the accused in both cases. (Adnan Abidi / REUTERS)

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A group of agitated people took out a rally with lit torches protesting against the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua, in Kolkata on April 16. The girl belonged to nomadic Bakarwal community and was abducted on January 10. According to the chargesheet she was held captive in a temple, sedated and assaulted repeatedly. (Rupak De Chowdhuri / REUTERS)

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Students shout slogans during a protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, in Srinagar on April 16, 2018. (Danish Ismail / REUTERS)

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Students of Central University of Kashmir shout slogans as they hold placards during a protest calling for justice in the rape and murder case of the eight-year-old, in Srinagar on April 16, 2018. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)

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A girl holds a placard during a protest against the Kathua rape case in Kochi on April 15, 2018. On April 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that the two Jammu and Kashmir ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who participated in a rally defending the Kathua rape accused had to go, said two leaders familiar with political developments that led up to their resignation. (Sivaram V / REUTERS)

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School and madarsa students display placards as they protest the government’s alleged ‘inaction’ in Kathua and Unnao rape cases, in Ahmedabad on April 15, 2018. In the Unnao case, the victim has alleged she was raped by MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4 last year. The teenager attempted self-immolation in front of CM Yogi Adityanath’s residence on April 8 to highlight her ordeal. (Santosh Hirlekar / PTI)

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People from all walks of life were out on the streets holding placards during a protest against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases in Mumbai on April 13, 2018. In the Unnao case, the girl’s father was booked by police for illegal possession of firearms and taken into custody this April where he died with the autopsy suggesting serious wounds. (Francis Mascarenhas / REUTERS)

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Scores of Congress workers assembled near India Gate in central Delhi on April 12 night after party chief Rahul Gandhi called on people to join a “silent, peaceful protest” demanding justice for victims of rape and murder. He demanded action from the BJP-led Centre to ensure women’s safety. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

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A student prepares a banner before participating in a protest against the Kathua rape case, in Kolkata on April 16, 2018. (Rupak De Chowdhuri / REUTERS)

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Members of various organisations and political and social groups hit the streets in various cities against the rape and murder in Kathua and the rape in Unnao district where the victim’s father died in police custody. (Danish Siddiqui / REUTERS)

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A man sits next to a graffiti which depicts a message in protest against the Kathua case, in Kochi on April 16, 2018. (Sivaram V / REUTERS)

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Men wear black and blue bands seeking an end to sexual violence against women, during a protest in Bangalore on April 16, 2018. (Aijaz Rahi / AP)

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A child attends a protest against the rape cases, in New Delhi on April 15, 2018. (Cathal McNaughton / REUTERS)

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Protesters display placards during a protest against the two recently reported rape cases as they gather near the Parliament in New Delhi on April 15, 2018. Violent crimes against women have been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted in 2013. (Oinam Anand / AP)