India is in lockdown, but that has not stopped crimes against women in the country. A 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three men on a government school premises, where she had stayed during lockdown in the state of Rajasthan, the state police said on Saturday. All three were arrested.
Twitter users shared news reports of the incident that took place on Thursday night in the state’s Sawai Madhopur district.
@sandisaksena tweeted: “Nothing is a deterrent to rape in India… even when it can be life threatening.”
According to a report by the news agency, Press Trust of India (PTI): “The woman, in her statement, said she has been stuck for a month in Sawai Madhopur due to the ongoing lockdown. She decided to walk down to her residence in Jaipur.”
On Thursday night, the woman stayed at a government school premises in Batod Police Station area to take rest, but was allegedly raped by three men, the official said.
On Friday, a case was registered against the accused on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. Her medical examination was conducted and her statement was recorded.
The accused, identified as Rishikesh Meena, Lakhan Regar and Kamal Kharwal, were arrested and produced before a court, DSP Parth Sharma said.
The police also added that the woman's son is lodged in Dausa jail. She was staying alone at a rented accommodation in Jaipur.
Many Twitter users shared concerns about the rise in rapes in the recent years.
Tweep @abhimanyumoitra posted: “80 per cent rape cases does not get even FIR in India. The actual figure is too high. Our respect towards women mostly a show off.”
@bold22atheist also tweeted: “These are reported cases. Not to forget that in India many rape cases go unreported. Also, marital rape isn't considered a rape here. Domestic rape too goes unreported. Many underaged females do not even know about what's happening to them. So they don't report.”
India in lockdown has seen a spike in women and children facing domestic abuse. India's National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday said it registered 587 domestic violence complaints between March 23 and April 16.
Minor abducted and raped
A six-year-old girl who was playing outside her house in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, went missing last week on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, she was found unconscious with her hands tied, in an abandoned building in the village in Damoh district.
Twitter users shared the “shocking” news report.
"We found that her eyes were damaged by the accused, who also inflicted injuries on her face," district superintendent Hemant Chauhan told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. "Doctors are operating on her eyes."
The state police have launched a manhunt to find the perpetrator.
Amid the lockdown, India is seeing a rise in crime against children. According to an April 9, India.com article quoting Harleen Walia, deputy director of Childline India, wrote: “The Childline India helpline received more than 92,000 calls asking for protection from abuse and violence in 11 days, a sombre indication that the lockdown has turned into extended captivity not just for many women but also for children trapped with their abusers at home. Of the 307,000 calls received by the 'CHILDLINE 1098' helpline for children in distress across the country between March 20-31, covering the first week of the lockdown, 30 per cent were about protection against abuse and violence on children." said.
Another 18-year-old raped and killed
Twitter users also shared another report about an 18-year-old girl strangulated to death by a stalker in the state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the police, the girl, was returning home after handing over dinner to her family members who were harvesting wheat crop on Friday night, when she was intercepted by her attacker.
Angry Twitter users said this was a new normal in the Bharatiya Janata Party governed country, and questioned lawmakers as to why the country was not doing enough to ensure safety of women.
@free_thinker256 tweeted: “Why rapes in MP and UP are still news? People should realise that these are 'new normals' in BJP's India, where their ideology itself says that rape is not a crime!”
