New Delhi: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has been roundly criticised for “siding with the rapists” after it emerged that his federal government had approved the premature release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Muslim woman Bilkis Bano.
After the release of convicts of Bilqis Bano rape case, Indian Supreme Court has also freed men involved in rape of a 19-year-old Delhi girl. Ten years ago, a 19-year-old Delhi girl was found gang raped and murdered in the fields of the neighbouring state of Haryana.
India’s Supreme Court released the men in a stunning reversal, saying there was no “conclusive, and convincing” they committed the crime. 40-pages Supreme Court order, authored by Justice Bela Trivedi, questioned the evidence presented by the prosecution and said it was possible that it had been tampered with.
The decision has angered the victim’s parents, shocked activists & lawyers and prompted social media outrage in a country where tens of thousands of rapes are reported each year. 2018 survey of global experts on women’s issues ranked India as the most dangerous country for women, citing a high risk of sexual violence. National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) has flagged the national capital as the most unsafe metropolitan city in India for women.
The national capital also recorded over 13,500 crimes against women in 2021, with a surge of 40 percent compared to the data for 2020, which is 9,782. As per NCRB data, crimes against women in Delhi accounts for 32.20 per cent of total crimes in the category among all metropolitan cities across India. Victim’s father said that his “hopes of getting justice were dashed in minutes.
We had waited for 10 years for justice. We had faith in the judiciary, we believed that the Supreme Court will confirm the death penalty and my daughter’s killers would be finally hanged.” The release also raised questions around the government’s stance on women in a country notorious for violence against them.
Senior lawyer Anand Yagnik said that “the remission of the sentence of convicts of a gruesome crime like gang rape and murder is morally and ethically improper,” adding: “What is the signal we are trying to send?” This is the real face of New India- convicted killers and rapists released” and activist Teesta Setalvad “who fought for justice was jailed”. Indian judiciary is only complimenting and facilitating the implementation of fascist policies of the ruling class while being indifferent to the miseries of the common citizens.
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