Gang-raped by six men, a tribal woman in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa sought justice from her community panchayat, only to find that not only did several members try to suppress the matter, they also called her rapists 'sanskari' (people with good values).
It was only after the woman approached the police that swift action followed and all six accused, including a minor, were arrested.
The assault took place around 1 am on November 29. The 27-year-old and her husband were working as irrigation labourers at a farm in the village. At night, five young men and a boy arrived at the shed where the couple was resting.
The woman asked her husband to light a bonfire and when he went a short distance away, the men and the minor allegedly overpowered the woman and gang-raped her.
The woman says the accused threatened to kill her husband if they spoke out. Terrified, she stayed silent for several days. But when the trauma became unbearable, she approached the community panchayat, only to face dismissal and humiliation.
According to her, many members of the panchayat belonged to the families of the accused, and dismissed her allegations. "They kept saying their boys are 'sanskari'," she said.
"Some women also insisted they could never commit such a crime. No one spoke for me," the survivor said.
Feeling abandoned, she mustered the courage to approach the police on December 8.
Khandwa Superintendent of Police Manoj Rai said the men have been taken into custody.
"One of the accused is a minor. He has been sent to a juvenile home. The remaining accused will be produced in court and sent to jail," Rai said.
