EFFORTPOST The Nirbhaya R*pe Case in India

R*pe is a problem globally. However, it is worse in some places than in others. This is due to a multitude of reasons including culture, criminal law, and religion. India is considered to have one of the highest r*pe rates in the world, and things show no sign of slowing down. The statistics are harrowing, to say the least.

• There are an average of 86 r*pes daily

• One r*pe was reported every 16 minutes in India in 2019

• More than 7,200 minors – 1.6 in 100,000 minors – are r*ped each year in India

• Only one in four reported r*pe cases in India result in convictions

• Unreported rate in India is estimated by the National Crime Records Bureau to be 71%

Today, I wish to outline one of the worst r*pe cases to come out of India. Earlier, I received a vicious teardown from @DWHITE___________DYNAMITE regarding my longposts, and a lot of it is true. Hence, I've decided to slow down and carefully write this post over a number of days. Hopefully, this is regarded as a qualitypost.

The Nirbhaya Case - 2012

This case began on December 16, 2012 and it centers on Jyothi Singh and her male friend, Awindra Pratap Pandey, who was a 28-year-old software engineer. Jyothi was 22 and she graduated in physiotherapy from the Sai Institute of Paramedical & Allied Sciences in Dehradun. Although women are treated like second-class citizens in India, that wasn't the case in Jyothi's family where her father insisted she be allowed to attend school.

The pair had gone to watch Life of Pi at PVR Select City Walk, Saket. I don't blame them for watching the film, it's good and so is the novel. Following their viewing of the film, they headed to Munirka Bus Stand where they boarded a bus, expecting to go to Dwarka. It was late at night, but not too late. Reports claim it was around 21:30, or 9:30 PM for those who can't read military time.

The pair weren't alone on the bus. There were six other passengers (all male) as well as the bus driver. The bus ride was normal until it wasn't. The pair started getting suspicious when the bus went off-route and the doors were shut. Awindra spoke out, but this invited nothing but mockery from the bus passengers. The software engineer didn't take it sitting down, and a scuffle ensued. He was overpowered and hit on the head with an iron rod, rendering him unconscious, before he was gagged like a war hostage.

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Quick Notes From Holly!

At first, in compliance with India's law, the names of the victims were withheld. Pseudonyms were used in the media, including Jagruti (awareness), Amanat (treasure), Nirbhaya (fearless one), Damini (lightning, after the 1993 Hindi Hit film), and Delhi braveheart. Their identities didn't remain hidden for long, and a publication called Mail Today published Jyothi's name. This resulted in the Delhi police to file a criminal case. Eventually, Jyothi's parents made her identity public, with her father stating the following: "We want the world to know her real name. My daughter didn`t do anything wrong, she died while protecting herself."

https://zeenews.india.com/news/delhi/delhi-r*pe-victims-father-says-didnt-allow-uk-daily-to-name-daughter_821228.html

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As the bus driver continued driving, the six passengers dragged Jyothi to the back of the bus where they gang-r*ped her and beat her with an iron rod. Jyothi fought back, biting some of the assailants, but she too was overpowered and she could not stop the men from having their way with her. They also penetrated her with the iron rod. It is hard to describe how badly they brutalized Jyothi, and reading about it makes my stomach turn. She suffered serious trauma to her abdomen and genitals, and the boys saw stringy matter, believed to be her intestines, being pulled from her. Awindra was also badly injured and suffered broken limbs.

The whole ordeal took about half an hour and when the men were done, they threw their victims out of the bus at Mahipalpur, but not before robbing the pair of their belongings. They were spotted by a passerby who took the pair to Safdarjung Hospital. Awindra was harmed but recovered. The same cannot be said for Jyothi who went through a medical nightmare. She was put on life support and had her intestines removed. Shockingly, she could still communicate, and she gave a description of her attackers. She was eventually moved to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for further care. Unfortunately, doctors could not save her, and she died on December 29.

To cover the criminal case would require a post of its own, so we'll only cover light details. The bus used in the incident was found within 24 hours and traced back to the driver, Ram Singh. From there, it was easy to find the rest of the perpetrators. They were arrested and the parliament decided to forge new laws that had the death penalty as one of the punishments for r*pe. Ram would be found hanging in his jail cell, leaving four of the accused to face trial. After being found guilty, they received the death penalty and were hanged. If the math seems off, it's not. One of the perpetrators was a minor, so his case was handled in juvenile court.

Following the incident, there were mass protests in India. Protestors were hit with water and teargas to make them disperse. More than 600 women belonging to various organisations demonstrated in Bangalore while thousands of people silently marched in Kolkata. Protests continued after Jyothi's death, and the case found international attention, leading to protests around the world with many demanding a safer society for women and girls in India. A documentary titled India's Daughter was created by the BBC, and it was lauded by Jyothi's family.

Unfortunately, not much has changed, and r*pe remains rampant. More sadly, the Nirbhaya case would not be the last time a great atrocity occurred.

Conclusion

I was going to post multiple cases, but I'd like to craft my longposts a little better, taking care not to make them too long. I'm still unemployed so I've got a lot of time on my hands when I'm not job hunting, and I need to realise that not everyone is in the same position, so my posts need to reflect that.

I'm at peace with my inceldom for now, and I'm not even particularly suicidal. I haven't self-harmed since June and I still have a good friendship with Sarah H. (the girl who rejected me). All in all, the circumstances of my life may not be the greatest, but I've been able to find happiness and inner peace while I patiently wait for the tide to turn. I'm not remaining passive, of course, and I'm making a concerted effort to improve things. Hopefully, the future is brighter than the past has been.