Beat accused with shoe: UP panchayat tells rape survivor to settle case

In a country where a woman is raped every 16 minutes (according to National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) ‘Crime in India’ 2019 report), reaching a verdict and getting justice seems like a forever task and thus, India resorts to odd ways of giving justice to its wronged women.

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In a yet another shameful incident reported in Uttar Pradesh‘s Maharajganj district, a rape victim, who was allegedly raped by a boy from her village, was asked by the Panchayat to settle the matter by hitting her alleged preparator with shoes 5 times and accept Rs 50,000 as compensation, reported PTI.

The victim’s family, who has refused to accept these terms have  lodged a police complaint with Kothibhar police station, officials said.

The mother of the rape survivor told police that the village panchayat had asked her daughter to settle the matter with the boy accused of raping her by taking Rs 50,000 from him and slapping him five times with a shoe in front of the village council, reported PTI quoting police officials.

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Soon after the news of Panchayat’s decision broke  and went viral on social media, Maharajganj Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gupta on Tuesday directed officials to get the girl’s medical examination done and record her statement.

“If rape is reported in the medical test, a case will be registered under the relevant provisions of law and further action will be taken,” he said.