• durgesh dubey
• 02 Aug, 2024

rape

In Agra, Uttar Pradesh, a panchayat reportedly bypassed police action by imposing a punishment of five shoe strikes and a fine of Rs 15,000 on a rape accused. This decision followed claims from the survivor that the accused had lured and raped her. The panchayat allegedly intervened to preserve family honor.

According to media report, the panchayat instructed the rape survivor to hit the 20-year-old accused five times with a shoe on his head. Despite being informed of the incident, the panchayat chose not to involve the police to maintain family honor.

The accused allegedly raped the woman on July 25. That evening, the woman from Bhogipura left her home, and when she did not return by 9 PM, her family reported her abduction to the police, accusing a local youth. Police arrived to investigate, but community members intervened, promising to locate the woman themselves. Five hours later, they brought her back and asked the police to halt the investigation.

During the panchayat meeting, the woman recounted that the accused had lured her, spiked her drink, and raped her. The panchayat then ordered the accused to be hit with a shoe by the survivor and fined him Rs 15,000. A widely circulated video on social media shows the accused being hit and then walking away calmly.