Crime Against Women Must End Now! Horrific Tale Of Rape Cases In Uttar Pradesh That Shook Whole Country

The number of crimes against women in India is witnessing unusual growth. Many debates have been triggered in contemporary modern times to discuss different aspects of crime, such as why crimes against women are increasing when the country is on edge to become a global leader in many sectors through promoting women empowerment with various initiatives.

India is undoubtedly going through a rapid transformation with technological advancements and an increase in the number of researches and innovations. Notably, the participation of women across sectors has also significantly increased in recent years. Meanwhile, the remote and rural parts of the country remain isolated from various mental, psychological, and social developments.

Many parts of India still witness gender and caste discrimination and lack of education, contributing to increased crimes against women. Especially in Uttar Pradesh (UP), where very often cases of sexual violence and rape are reported, posing a threat to the existence of women. Several cases from UP, including the Lakhimpur Kheri, Unnao, and Hathras cases, have shaken the country.

Horrific Tale Of Rape Cases From UP

Recently, on Thursday, two Dalit teenage sisters were found hanging from a tree in a sugarcane field in Lalpur Majra Tamoil Purva village of Lakhimpur Kheri. The police have already arrested four accused in the case, and an investigation is underway. According to officials, the accused have been charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323, 452, 302, and 376, relating to murder and rape.

In yet another horrific incident, a 13-year-old girl was raped by four men and strangled to death in the presence of her elder sister in the same district on June 29. The police arrested seven people, four involved in raping the girl, her elder sister, and two who stood nearby during the commission of the crime. The accused were aged between 18 to 20 years, usually an age to undergo educational practices.

The Unnao & Hathras Rape Cases

In another nerve-racking incident, a 17-year-old girl was gang raped in Unnao on June 4, 2017. After two years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Kuldeep Singh Sengar, was convicted for rape on December 20, 2019. After he received a punishment of life imprisonment, he was also found guilty of the death of the girl's father.

There are several other cases related to crime against women in Uttar Pradesh, but only a few manage to make headlines. In the Unnao case, the rape survivor attempted to immolate herself in front of the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 8, 2018. Such incidents caught the public's attention, and the administration had to take strict action against the accused.

In the Hathras rape case, a 19-year-old Dalit woman was gang raped by four so-called upper castes' Thakur's' of the village. After the incident, the victim was cremated forcibly by the police without any consent of the family, a claim that UP police deny. During her cremation, a vast police force was deployed around the area, and no media professionals were permitted to enter the premises and report the news. However, a few journalists made it to the spot and captured the horrific cremation of the victim.

Women, being an integral part of society, still face heinous crimes in the form of sexual violence, rape, domestic abuse and many others. In 2021, the state of UP, being the most populous state in India, reported the highest number of complaints of crimes against women. As many as 15,828 cases were reported in police posts across the state throughout the year.

According to the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 31,677 rape cases were registered in India, out of which 2,845 rape cases were from UP, reported The Wire. The existence of women across the state, especially in remote areas, has become threatening and alarming with an increase in the number of crimes.

Why Are New Laws Introduced Only After The Incident?

The incident of rape in the case of Bhanwari Devi, which occurred at dusk on September 22, 1992, resulted in the formation of guidelines to deal with sexual harassment at workplaces by the Supreme Court of India. She was gang raped by a group of men while working in the fields with her husband. Her husband was beaten with sticks, and nasty abuses were thrown at Devi. She begged for mercy, but two of the accused pinned her husband on the ground, and the remaining three continued to rape her.

Even after introducing safety laws at workplaces, the accused in the Bhanwari Devi rape case remains free, cleared of all the rape charges by the trial court. Over the past three decades, two of the accused have also died.

Similarly, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 came into existence after the Nirbhaya rape case that occurred on December 16, 2022, in the South West Delhi area. The anti-rape law was redefined and made more robust to make punishment more stringent, including the death penalty for rape offenders.

The government has taken several initiatives to safeguard women in the country and has always promoted women's empowerment. Still, the big question remains unanswered- why are anti-rape and sexual offence laws made only after the commission of incidents, and why are no such rules placed beforehand to punish offenders more strictly? If such laws had been present before the incidents, several rape victims, such as Bhanwari Devi and Nirbhaya, would have received justice on time.

Also Read: NCRB Data Flags Delhi As Most Unsafe City In India For Women, Mumbai At Second In List