Violence Against Women in India - Keeping a log: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

May 31, 2013: Woman kills self following dowry demand post divorce

Yagnesh Mehta, TNN | May 31, 2013, 08.47 PM IST
SURAT: A 27 year old woman committed suicide in Kapodra area ofSurat on Wednesday by consuming pesticide. Police investigation revealed that the victim was being harassed by her former husband and in-laws demanding dowry of Rs 5 lakh cash and jewellery.

Chhaya Patel's body was found from a house in Bhakti Park society inKamrej of Surat. Following her death, her family members alleged that Patel's former husband DineshGangani and his family used to harass her to give them cash and jewellery. Police booked husband,DineshGangani, father in law, Gordhan and mother in law,Vasantben.

Patel got married to Gangani in January 2012 after a brief love affair. After marriage Patel was harassed by husband and in-laws to bring dowry money and jewellery. Patel refused to bring dowry from her parents and took divorce from Gangani in December 2012. She was living separate and discontinued relationship with Gangani.

Even after divorce Gangani and his family continued to harass Patel. Gangani and other accused harassed the victim on phone and by visiting her personally. The accused told Patel that she did not pay them the dowry after marriage and they will not let it go, police informed.

"The family claimed that the torture for dowry continued even after divorce. Due to the dowry the victim ended life," said A S Vasava, police sub inspector, Kapodra police station.
Link: Woman kills self following dowry demand post divorce

Thursday, May 30, 2013

May 26, 2013: Minor Delhi girl raped by neighbour in car

IANS | May 26, 2013, 09.28 PM IST

NEW DELHI: A 16-year-old man was arrested for raping a neighbour girl after she went out with him in a car here, police said on Sunday.

Anish, 21, a barber, was arrested in west Delhi's Kanjhawla area around 11pm on Saturday on a complaint filed by the girl's parents, police said.

The victim had gone out with the accused in a car in which she was later raped, said a police official.

The victim's family members came to know of the sexual assault when the accused, along with his four friends, drove the victim down to her house in the same area after the crime, police said.

The accused and his friends had a brief altercation with the victim's neighbours while they were dropping her, police said.

While Anish managed to escape, his four friends were trashed by the area residents. Anish was arrested later, police said.

A rape case against Anish was registered Sunday evening after the victim's medical report confirmed rape, police said.
Link: Minor Delhi girl raped by neighbour in car

Friday, May 24, 2013

May 24, 2013: Nagpur: Class 7 girl sexually assaulted and burnt, battles for life

Written by Sanjay Tiwari | Updated: May 24, 2013 22:24 IST

Nagpur: An under construction building in the busy Manish Nagar area of Nagpur became the site of a horrific crime on Friday morning. A minor girl was found there burning. The doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital attending to her said she had sustained 95 per cent burn injuries and appeared to have been sexually assaulted and then burnt.

Locals from the area say they heard a girl screaming and saw smoke billowing from the third floor when they called the police. The police found the girl burnt and alongside her, a knife, a cake box, a few burnt clothes and liquor bottles.

The girl, still unconscious and now battling for her life, is a seventh standard student and daughter of a labourer couple from Madhya Pradesh. She was missing since 3pm on Thursday. Her parents then registered a complaint. The girl's statement has not yet been recorded.
Locals say the construction work at the site of the crime has been stalled since two years and has often been inhabited by antisocial elements.

The police are now looking for clues to identify the perpetrators of the crime.
Link: Nagpur: Class 7 girl sexually assaulted and burnt, battles for life

May 21, 2013: 17-year-old girl allegedly gang-raped by neighbours in Delhi

Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: May 21, 2013 09:13 IST

New Delhi: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped in Delhi by three people, including two neighbours, after giving her sedatives, police said.

The incident took place May 17 in east Delhi's New Usmanpur area, police said.

"Two of the three accused are minors. The third accused has been identified who has been arrested. His younger brother has been sent to a juvenile home while the third accused is absconding," said a police officer.

The incident came to light after the girl, who was found in an unconscious condition in a street, gained consciousness two days after the incident and narrated the chain of events to her family.

A medical test confirmed rape and a case was registered, police said.

Her father lodged a complaint against the third accused and his brother, who lived near the girl's house, police said.
Link: 17-year-old girl allegedly gang-raped by neighbors in Delhi

Thursday, May 23, 2013

May 23, 2013: Kashmir's self-styled godman arrested for rape of young girls

M Saleem Pandit, TNN | May 23, 2013, 03.13 PM IST

SRINAGAR: A 42-year-old self-styled Sufi dervish Gulzar Ahmed Bhat was arrested on Wednesday by Jammu and Kashmir police for raping and sexually abusing several young girls at his religious centre, Khansahib in Budgam district.

Gulzar Bhat, who went by the name Syed Gulzar, ran a residential institution for girls which offered short duration courses in religious studies. The self-styled dervish used to promote himself on local TV channels and publish promotional advertisements in local newspapers.

The scandal came to light when one of Gulzar's disciples, Imtiyaz Ahmad Sofi saw him indulging in a sexual act with a young girl. Police said Gulzar was arrested after four girls recorded their confessional statement before the court of the sub-judge in Budgam on Tuesday.

Police said at his centre with over 500 girl students, the self-styled god-man had been repeatedly exploiting the girls sexually on the pretext of "purifying" them. The charlatan had employed a few women who would motivate the girls to please the godman.

SP Budgam Uttam Chand said that the police were looking for two of his close associates - Abdul Gani Ganaie and Bashir Ahmed Mir. DSP Bashir Ahmad of Khansahib said that a local court on Wednesday remanded Gulzar Ahmed Bhat to police custody for 15 days to investigate the case. He said that medical examination of the victims had confirmed the allegations. "There is ample evidence to prove that the accused is involved in exploiting innocent girls. He is fully involved and there is no doubt about it," the police officers said.

(File photo of self-styled Sufi dervish Gulzar Ahmed Bhat)

The confessional recording of a victim reveals that Gulzar used to lure girls and women and later on with the help of his cronies assaulted them sexually. A victim from Pampore said that every new entrant was being persuaded and guided by a female employee Shakeela Bano of Lolipora. She claims that after her admission into Gulzar's religious centre, Shakeela took her in a room and advised her to serve 'Peer Sahab by heart if she wanted to get rid of her miseries.'

Another victim said: "Noor Mohammad, who served as Gulzar's Aamir-e-Aala, lured me to the centre. I was asked to enter 'Hujra-i-Pak' (Gulzar's personal chamber). As I entered, Molvi Gulzar ordered me to shut the door. He looked into my eyes and said, 'Marriage is not important for the propagation of religion. Wherever I will touch you that part of the body will not burn in Hell. Mein noor houn tum aag ho, noor aag say miley ga to poora noor ban jaey ga. Then he looked at me with scary eyes and I lost my conscience, my eyes were watching everything but my body was unconscious when he took me to bed."

A prominent local cleric Molvi Mohammad Amin said that scores of girls approached his organization World Khatme-Nubuwat Movement. "We were shocked after the girls made startling revelations." Molvi Amin alleged that Gulzar would "manipulate the verses of holy Quran to motivate the girls into sex."
Link: Kashmir's self-styled godman arrested for rape of young girls

May 23, 2013: Woman slits husband's throat

TNN | May 23, 2013, 04.13 AM IST
HOWRAH: Struggling to save herself from being strangled by her drunken husband, a homemaker in Howrah's Amta slit his throat with a kitchen blade.

Police arrested Shibani Koley, 32, from Sariyala village on Tuesday.

Ananda Koley, 38, a small-time farmer and an occasional worker in a tailoring shop, was a habitual drunkard and used to blow all his salary on his vice, Shibani told police. She told them she would protest everytime he came home drunk.

He would also pressure her into paying his drinking bills and would fly into fits of rage when she refused and regularly beat her up. Ananda, she told the cops, had even sold off the little jewellery she had to financehis drinking.

Around 2pm on Tuesday, Ananda returned home, drunk. He had gone out in the morning to work in the field. Shibani protested, sparking yet another row. But Ananda turned even more violent, alleged Shibani. "After beating me, he caught me by the neck and tried to strangle me," she told the cops. "To save myself, I managed to pick up a kitchen blade (bonti) and struck his throat with it. Before I realized it, he collapsed on the floor, bleeding profusely, his throat slit."

At that time, the couple's children — an eight-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter — were bathing in a nearby pond.

Shibani rushed out and told neighbours that she had killed her husband after he tried to strangle her.

The neighbours alerted the Amta police station. When the cops arrived, Shibani reportedly surrendered and confessed to her crime. The cops took Ananda to hospital, where he was declared dead.

Howrah additional SP Rural Sukhendu Hira said an investigation has been started.
Link: Woman slits husband's throat

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

May 21, 2013: Bride files dowry FIR on wedding day

TNN | May 21, 2013, 04.37 AM IST

AHMEDABAD: The scene was straight out of films for many invitees at Premilaben Patel's residence in Vinzol on Monday morning. With just a few hours left for her daughter's marriage, the bridegroom's side demanded Rs 5 lakh. Unable to get the amount at such a short notice, Patel pleaded to see the nuptials through. However, the marriage procession never came to Ahmedabad, leaving the family in distress.

Ankita Patel, 23, the bride, took the initiative and approached the Vatva GIDC police station in her bride's attire and filed a complaint against the family from Himmatnagar for demanding dowry and causing mental harassment. She has mentioned in her complaint that the family of Paresh Patel, the bridegroom, had already got Rs 3 lakh in the past two years on various pretexts.

According to Vatva GIDC police, Ankita had got engaged to Paresh Patel, a resident of Himmantnagar, two years back. Ankita's mother Premilaben raised three daughters after the demise of her husband and made two ends meet by letting out half the residence and working as a tailor. Ankita, the eldest daughter got her bachelors degree after which she gave consent to marriage.

Police officials said that the family has alleged that they had complied to all the demands by Paresh's family, who had got money on pretext of making a house or for family functions in the past two years hoping that this would be a good family for Ankita. Despite limited resources, they spent considerably and prepared for a marriage party consisting of more than 500 people.

"Premilaben got the shock of her life when Paresh's mother called at 8 am and told her that she expected at least Rs 5 lakh to be given at the wedding time," said a police official.

Fed up with the drama, Ankita asked the relatives not to bend anymore to the boy's family and approached police for the mental harassment and demand of dowry. GV Gohil, inspector of Vatva police station, said that they have asked the family members of Paresh Patel to record their statements in the case.
Link: Bride files dowry FIR on wedding day

Monday, May 20, 2013

May 20, 2013: 13-year-old allegedly abducted, raped by 3 youths

TNN | May 20, 2013, 12.20 PM IST

BHOPAL: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by three youths in Bhanpur area of the old city.

The incident had taken place in the night of May 17, but a case in this regard was registered with Chhola Mandir police station on Sunday.

Cops said the minor girl along with a youth was heading towards one of her relative's place in the night when the three accused identified as Imran, Imran Langda and Babban waylaid them. While Imran and Babban forced the man away, Langda allegedly raped the girl at a deserted house. Later, the duo returned and they too sexually harassed the girl.

Initially, the girl could not muster the courage to reveal the incident to her parents but later she told them after which a case against the trio was registered, police station staff added.
Link: 13-year-old allegedly abducted, raped by 3 youths

May 20, 2013: Woman kills daughter

TNN | May 20, 2013, 12.55 AM IST
HYDERABAD: After an altercation with her mother over a petty issue, a 35-year-old woman reportedly killed her own daughter at Peddemul in Ranga Reddy district on Sunday. The victim, identified as Mallamma,5, was the third daughter of a widow Pochamma from Peddemul. Pochamma with Mallamma went to her mother, Maisamma's house where she asked her to prepare lunch. When Maisamma refused, Pochamma returned with Mallamma and hit her on the head with a stick, resulting in her instant death.
Link: Woman kills daughter

May 20, 2013: Youth nabbed for harassing girl

TNN | May 20, 2013, 01.54 AM IST

LUCKNOW: The stalker who had escaped after assaulting a girl opposite a mall at Shahnajaf Road on Tuesday was caught by police on Sunday evening from trans-Gomti area. Amir Siddiqui, 28, was picked from Vikasnagar during routine checking. The girl, also a resident of Vikasnagar, is pursuing graduation and her mobile number somehow reached Siddiqui and he had been making crank calls using different numbers.

Earlier, a trap was laid by police to nab the accused on Tuesday. Three policemen in plain clothes led by Dharmendra Shukla sub-inspector from Vikasnagar police station asked the girl to call up the guy. He was supposed to meet the girl opposite a mall and the police team was planning to nab him once she gave them the signal from a distance. But no policemen was there in the area when he finally arrived.

The youth had twisted victim's arm and also slapped her before escaping on a bike. He also threatened her with dire consequences for getting him into trouble.

Vikasnagar police had received severe flak after the incident for not being able to protect the victim even when the incident took place barely a few metres away from SSP's bungalow.

"The victim had shown the photographs of the accused on a popular social network site which made our job easier," said Rajesh Srivastava, circle official of Mahanagar area. Siddiqui is pursuing post graduation from Kanpur University as a private candidate.
Link: Youth nabbed for harassing girl

May 20, 2013: Man arrested for raping wife's niece

TNN | May 20, 2013, 04.47 AM IST
PUNE: A 42-year-old unemployed man was arrested by the Mundhwa police on Saturday for raping his wife's niece after she agreed to accompany him to watch a movie. The incident took place at a construction site late on Thursday night.

The suspect was arrested after the 26-year-old victim approached the police on Saturday. The Mundhwa police, on Sunday, produced the suspect at the court which remanded him to police custody for five days.

Sub-inspector of the Mundhwa police station V S Chavan told TOI that the suspect is married to the victim's aunt.

The victim stayed with her aunt since her childhood because she was an orphan. She got married some time back. However, a few days later, she returned to her aunt's home following an altercation with her husband. "On May 16, the victim and her aunt got into an argument after which the victim called up her uncle (the suspect) on his cell phone and informed him about the incident," Chavan said.

The suspect asked her to relax and come with him to watch a movie. "However, he took her to an isolated construction site and raped her," Chavan said.
Link: Man arrested for raping wife's niece

May 20, 2013: 5-year-old raped, murdered in Alwar

TNN | May 20, 2013, 02.38 AM IST
ALWAR: A five-year-old girl was abducted from her house, raped and murdered at Sainthali village in Alwar district on Saturday evening. The incident came to light only next day morning when the parents found her body almost 1 km from their home.

According to the police, the victim's family had gone to attend a marriage ceremony on Saturday evening. They left their three children including the victim at home.

"In the FIR, they stated that when they returned at 11 pm on Saturday, they were stunned to see that one of their daughters was missing. A massive hunt was launched to find the girl. The victim's body was found lying near the farms on Sunday morning," said a police officer.

The girl was abducted when her elder brother and a younger sister were asleep in the room.

Some people of the village who had gone to attend nature's call spotted the body and informed the police. The body was sent to the government hospital, Alwar where a post-mortem was conducted.

Medical reports suggested that the victim was raped and murdered. "It was a brutal act by the assailants as her neck was broken, liver damaged and the body had at least 12 different injury marks. We have detained three persons and are interrogating them," said Nathuram Mehrania, circle officer, Alwar (rural).

Spotting the badly mutilated body, angry villagers shouted slogans against the police and administration. They jammed the Alwar-Jaipur and Bhiwadi- Sikandara roads. The jamcontinued for six hours and ended only after the police detained three suspects for interrogation.

According to the police, it was yet to be ascertained if it was a gangrape or the act was done by one person. "We have got some concrete clues and are interrogating a few suspects in this connection. We will surely make prompt arrests in this connection," said a police officer.
Link: 5-year-old raped, murdered in Alwar

May 20, 2013: Cops recover naked, decomposed body of woman home guard

TNN | May 20, 2013, 03.41 AM IST

HYDERABAD: A 35-year-old woman home guard was found murdered at a private office in Nallakunta on Sunday. The victim was identified as G Suneeta, wife of Mangilal from Kothapet,who works as an attender at Astalakshmi temple in Kothapet.

On Sunday morning, businessmen who have their offices in the two-storeyed building opposite the Fever Hospital, complained to the police about a foul smell emanating from a locked AMS Job Consultancy office on the first floor.

The Nallakunta police broke open the office door and found the naked, semi-decomposed body of a woman. Based on the cellphone records and other documents found near the body, the police were able to identify the victim as Suneeta.

During the initial probe, Mangilal told the cops that Suneeta was missing since she left the house on May 15.

"We saw strangulation marks on the neck of the victim and the body has been shifted for post-mortem. Suneeta's family members claim she was a home guard. We are yet to ascertain where she used to work," Nallakunta inspector V Jaipal Reddy said.

Police suspect that the victim could have been sexually assaulted prior to her death. They are currently looking for the job consultancy owners, Vijay Kumar and George, with whom the victim reportedly had an affair.

"A case was registered under section 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The two are absconding and we have launched a manhunt to nab them," the inspector said.
Link: Cops recover naked, decomposed body of woman home guard

May 20, 2013: Man kills wife after drinking session

TNN | May 20, 2013, 04.12 AM IST

BANGALORE: A weekend drinking session turned awry for a couple, with the husband killing his wife following a heated argument. Thimmaraju, 32, an auto driver, and his wife V Latha, 38, a social worker, were spending a rainy Saturday evening downing some whisky at their Suvarnanagar residence in Peenya, off Tumkur Road.

After the couple had finished three pegs each, things turned ugly. Thimmaraju's outburst at his wife's 'sudden disappearances' from home during weekends is believed to have sparked off an argument between the two. He suspected that she had boyfriends and ventured out with them.

Latha retaliated and accused Thimmaraju of having girlfriends. She blamed Thimmaraju for her inability to conceive even after eight years of marriage. A furious Thimmaraju attacked his wife and strangled her with her sari. Latha's screams woke up her neighbours, who knocked repeatedly on their doors before calling the police. The neighbours also peeped in through the window and witnessed the murder.

Peenya police arrested Thimmaraju and shifted Latha's body to MS Ramaiah hospital for autopsy.

Hailing from Kunigal in Tumkur district, the couple was living in a single bedroom rented house.

Sumalatha, a neighbour, said Latha and Thimmaraju fought frequently. "Their parents from Kunigal would turn up for intervention. Thimmaraju always suspected Latha's fidelity," she said.

Latha was a widow who had lost her husband to cancer in Kunigal 10 years back. She moved to Bangalore where she fell in love with Thimmaraju and married him.
Link: Man kills wife after drinking session

Sunday, May 19, 2013

May 19, 2013: Engineer 'rapes' woman for two years, arrested

TNN | May 19, 2013, 01.55 AM IST

GURGAON: A 25-year-old engineer was arrested on Friday for raping a woman for the last two years on the pretext of marrying her. Police produced the accused in a city court, which sent him in 14 days' judicial custody. The accused has been identified as Rohit, a native of Jhajjar at present living in rented accommodation in Sai Kunj in Palam Vihar.

A senior police officer said that the 23-year-old woman, who has done her BBA and is currently looking for a job, claimed that she got intimate with him because he promised to marry her. He used this to rape her repeatedly but finally refused to marry her and threatened her. He would call the victim to his rented accommodation and rape her.
Link: Engineer 'rapes' woman for two years, arrested

May 19, 2013: Man booked for allegedly raping daughter-in-law

Sanjay Yadav, TNN | May 19, 2013, 01.39 AM IST

GURGAON: A 24-year-old woman, a resident of the slums in DLF-I area, has accused her father-in-law of raping her. The victim also accused other family members of conspiring to kill her. DLF-I police have lodged an FIR on Friday.

According to the police, the victim alleged that her father-in-law raped her and when she tried to stop him, the family members threatened to kill her.

The police have lodged an FIR against her father-in-law Rohtash and other family members Rajesh, Rupe, Babli and Kavita under Section 376, 506, 120 B of IPC.

"The accused will be behind bars soon," said inspector Surender Phogat, SHO, DLF-I policestation.
Link: Man booked for allegedly raping daughter-in-law

May 19, 2013: Angry over complaint against son, man sets girl on fire

TNN | May 19, 2013, 05.12 AM IST

BHOPAL: A teenaged girl was battling for her life with 80% burns after a 50-year-old man set her on fire for registering a molestation complaint against his son at Gadhi in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district on Saturday.

The 16-year-old was sent to a juvenile home after the girl had filed the complaint against him two days earlier.

Raisen SP Shashikant Shukla said, "The boy, Ashok, who harassed the girl, was arrested on the day she filed the complaint."

Police said Ashok's father, Kanchedi, barged into the girl's house, doused her with kerosene and set her on fire.

The girl's father rushed to her rescue, but by that time she had sustained 80% burns.

The teenager was initially taken to a local primary health centre before she was referred to Bhopal.
Link: Angry over complaint against son, man sets girl on fire

May 19, 2013: Mumbai doctor on the run after allegedly raping 27-year-old girl in clinic

Written by Saurabh Gupta | Updated: May 19, 2013 00:32 IST

Mumbai: A 27-year-old woman has claimed that she was raped by a doctor in Mumbai while she was visiting his clinic for treatment. The victim is a resident of Ghatkopar. She was visiting the doctor's clinic at Khar in suburban Mumbai.

A case under Section 376 of Indian Penal Code has been registered at Khar police station but the police have not been able to arrest the man named by the woman so far. The victim alleges that the police have not taken the complaint seriously and have let the accused escape.

The police have denied the allegation and say the doctor is on the run. An office from the Khar police station added they are trying to trace the doctor so that he can be arrested.
Link: Mumbai doctor on the run after allegedly raping 27-year-old girl in clinic

Saturday, May 18, 2013

May 18, 2013: Woman burnt to death over dowry

TNN | May 18, 2013, 03.14 AM IST

NOIDA: A woman was allegedly killed and her body set ablaze by her in-laws in Salarpur village of Greater Noida on Thursday. Police have identified the deceased as Renu Jogi (24), a resident of Aligarh district. Cops said she was being frequently tortured by her in-laws for dowry for the last few months.

While the accused have been absconding since the incident, police have registered a case under Sections 304B and 498A of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act at Jarcha police station. Renu's body was found in a charred state on Thursday night. After neighbours called the police, her dead body was recovered from the kitchen. The family members had already escaped by the time the cops arrived.

Jashraph, Renu's father, in his complaint, has alleged that her husband Dushyant Jogi and his parents had been demanding a four-wheeler, gold jewellery and Rs 1 lakh in cash following the marriage last year. They had also been beating her. "We have sent the body for post mortem to ascertain the cause of death," said Brijesh Kumar Singh, SP (Rural).
Link: Woman burnt to death over dowry

May 18, 2013: Man arrested for raping grandchild

TNN | May 18, 2013, 02.32 AM IST
CUTTACK: A 60-year-old man was arrested by police on Friday for allegedly raping his seven-year-old granddaughter. The accused was examined at SCB Medical College and Hospital on Friday.

The accused, the paternal grandfather of the victim, was staying with the family at Pirabazar under Jagatpur police limits. The incident, which took place on May 12, came to light on Thursday after the child narrated the ordeal to her mother. The girl complained of pain in her private parts and her mother also found some blood stains in the victim's clothes.

After learning about the incident, parents of the victim lodged a complaint at Jagatpur police station on Thursday, said police. "We are waiting for the medical reports," said IIC of Jagatpur police station R K Senapati.
Link: Man arrested for raping grandchild

May 18, 2013: Teen's rapist gets death penalty

TNN | May 18, 2013, 03.26 AM IST

BHOPAL: A trial court here on Friday sentenced to death a 45-year-old motor mechanic, Mustafa, who was found guilty of raping and throttling to death a minor on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2012.

The prosecution case was that Mustafa, with whom the 16-year-old girl had close family acquaintance, took her in a car, raped and murdered her. He later dumped her body at Budhni ghat about 45km from Bhopal.

A search was launched by police after the girl's family had filed a missing complaint.

On September 29, Budhni police found the body and buried it as an 'unidentified' one. Later, when Bhopal got leads during interrogation of Mustafa, they exhumed the body and brought it to Bhopal.

Mustafa and his alleged accomplice Aziz were charged with rape, murder and destroying evidence.

After hearing the case, court of additional session judge Saeeda Bano Rahman held Mustafa guilty on all the charges and awarded death penalty for him. However, Aziz was acquitted for lack of evidence.

When the judge asked whether he had any reason to cite why he should not be given capital punishment, Mustafa said that he was the sole breadwinner of his family. His counsel argued that his offence did not fall under the 'rarest of rare' category of crimes, for a death sentence.

However, the public prosecutor argued for capital punishment on the ground that the crime was of a 'cruel' nature.

After hearing the argument, the judge stated she was unable to find any 'justifying circumstances' not to award death penalty for the accused. She stated that an exemplary punishment is required to put a check on such cases and also to ensure that fear of law remains among criminals in society.

It may be recalled that tension had gripped the Mansarovar complex area in Bhopal after people set on fire shops and damaged vehicles after the incident on September 29. The accused worked in a motor-repairing shop at the locality.

Link: Teen's rapist gets death penalty

May 18, 2013: 60-year-old man held for raping child in Madurai

TNN | May 18, 2013, 02.07 AM IST
MADURAI: A 60-year-old man was arrested by the Koodalpudur police for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl child, on Tuesday.

Police said that the accused, who was arrested on Thursday, has been identified as Periyakaruppan of Mettupatti near Koodalpudur on Thursday. Periyakaruppan is a barber by profession. He was a friend of Rajan, the father of the victim from Koodalpudur for the last 10 years. Periyakaruppan has been arrested based on the complaint from the victim's mother Gomathi, police said.

Police said that Periyakaruppan would often visit Rajan's family. He was in the habit of buying eats for the child every time he visited the house. During one such visit on Tuesday, he did not purchase anything. In the guise of buying some eatable for the girl, he took her on his two-wheeler after informing her parents.

However, Periyakaruppan took the girl inside an abandoned building in Koodalpudur area opposite to the BSNL telephone exchange. There he allegedly raped the girl and later left her in the house when Rajan and Gomathi were not present. The incident came to light when the girl disclosed the incident to her parents upon their arrival. However, the parents preferred a police complaint only on Thursday after they held talks with the villagers. Police, who registered rape case against Periyakaruppan on Thursday arrested him on the same day.
Link: 60-year-old man held for raping child in Madurai

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

May 15, 2013: Daughter-in-law should not be treated as domestic help, says Supreme Court

Press Trust of India | Updated: May 15, 2013 20:29 IST

New Delhi: A daughter-in-law should be treated as a family member and not the domestic help, and she cannot be "thrown out of her matrimonial home at any time", the Supreme Court has said, while expressing concern over instances of brides being burnt and tortured in the country.

The top court said a bride must be respected in her matrimonial home as it "reflects the sensitivity of a civilised society."

"A daughter-in-law is to be treated as a member of the family with warmth and affection and not as a stranger with respectable and ignoble indifference. She should not be treated as a house maid. No impression should be given that she can be thrown out of her matrimonial home at any time," a bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said.

"Respect of a bride in her matrimonial home glorifies the solemnity and sanctity of marriage, reflects the sensitivity of a civilised society and eventually epitomises her aspirations dreamt of in nuptial bliss.

"But the manner in which sometimes the bride is treated in many a home by the husband, in-law and the relatives creates a feeling of emotional numbness in society," it said.

The Supreme Court made the observations while sentencing a man to five years imprisonment for torturing his wife, who committed suicide.

The bench said it was a matter of great concern that brides in several cases were being treated with total insensitivity, destroying their desire to live.

"It is a matter of grave concern and shame that brides are burned or otherwise their life-sparks are extinguished by torture, both physical and mental, because of demand of dowry and insatiable greed and sometimes, sans demand of dowry, because of cruelty and harassment meted out to the nascent brides, treating them with total insensitivity, destroying their desire to live and forcing them to commit suicide, a brutal self-humiliation of life," the bench said.
Link: Daughter-in-law should not be treated as domestic help, says Supreme Court

May 15, 2013: Doctor arrested for allegedly raping patient in Delhi

Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: May 15, 2013 18:56 IST

New Delhi: A 51-year-old doctor at a government hospital in New Delhi was arrested for allegedly raping a 21-year-old patient in a clinic in east Delhi, police said on Wednesday.

"Narendra Singh, the chief medical officer of Jag Pravesh Chandra hospital, advised her to undergo an ultrasound. He lured her to a clinic outside the hospital, where he raped after giving her a drink laced with sedatives," a police officer said.

The victim approached police when she regained consciousness. Police said her medical examination confirmed rape.

Singh was arrested on Wednesday from his house in Seelampur area.
Link: Doctor arrested for allegedly raping patient in Delhi

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

May 14, 2013: Diamond trader held for raping son’s wife

TNN | May 14, 2013, 02.23 AM IST

MUMBAI: A 64-year-old diamond trader was arrested by the Goregaon police late on Monday after his daughter-in-law accused him of rape. The 30-year-old victim claimed he had raped her on several occasions between 2008 and 2013. She summoned the courage to lodge a complaint only after her family members stood by her.

The accused resides at Goregaon (W) and has two sons. The victim is his elder son's wife. The victim told the police that she was unable to conceive after her wedding and sought various medical options, including a test tube baby. According to her complaint, when her father-in-law learnt of the situation, he forced her to have a physical relationship with him to bear children. He also sent his son overseas on work during that time.

The victim, who now has two children, confided in her family recently. They complained to the National Commission for Women (NCW) who wrote a letter to the Goregaon police. An FIR was lodged against the accused on Sunday and he was taken into custody by the police the next day. Officers said he will be produced before a metropolitan court on Tuesday.

While earlier the victim lived in a joint family with her in-laws, she now stays separately with her husband and children.
Link: Diamond trader held for raping son’s wife

May 14, 2013: Seven-year-old raped in Bharatpur

TNN | May 14, 2013, 06.10 AM IST

JAIPUR: A seven-year-old girl who had gone to attend a marriage ceremony at Maluki village in Bharatpur district was allegedly raped by unknown persons during wee hours on Sunday. The girl is in a critical condition and was referred to SMS hospital.

The incident came to light when the victim was found in a serious condition on Monday morning in the farms by a school teacher, nearly 1 km away from the wedding venue. The girl was rushed to a nearby government hospital in Bharatpur. Her parents who had been frantically looking for her since Sunday evening were informed about the incident.

"Prima facie it appears that the girl was raped. The crime was done by a person or a group of persons who abducted her and raped is yet to be verified. She is not unable to narrate whatever happened to her as her condition is not good. We have brought her to SMS hospital," said a senior police officer of Kaithwara police station.

Her parents told the police that she was missing from 10 pm on Sunday and they were looking for her. Throughout Sunday night the girl's relatives kept searching for her but she was found on Monday morning.

"The medical examination of the girl by the doctors at Bharatpur has confirmed she was raped. There are some clues that she was raped by a middle-aged person, however we are waiting for concrete clues," the officer added.

However, the police have rounded up a few persons and are searching for the people who attended the wedding and went missing from the marriage venue. After the news spread at Maluki which is a Meo-dominated village the locals shouted slogans against the police and district authorities. The district administration, Bharatpur and senior police officers also went to the place to intervene and assured the angry mob that culprits would be behind bars soon.
Link: Seven-year-old raped in Bharatpur