Rajasthan Court Sentences 17 in Heinous Crime Against Pregnant Woman

A Rajasthan district court sentenced 17 individuals, including the victim's husband, involved in the heinous crime of stripping and parading a pregnant woman naked. The court highlighted the need for strict actions to prevent such crimes. The state police had formed a special investigation team to probe the case.

Nearly a year after a 20-year-old pregnant woman was stripped and paraded naked in Rajasthan, a district court has sentenced 14 men, including her husband, to seven-year imprisonment. The court noted the ''heinous crime'' was similar to an incident in Manipur. Chief Judicial Magistrate Pratapgarh, Ramkanya Soni, on Saturday also sentenced three women involved in the case to five-year imprisonment, according to Special Public Prosecutor Manish Nagar.

The judge emphasized that women are revered in the country as goddesses and ancient scriptures mention the importance of honoring them. Despite this, violence against women continues in 'kalyug' (depraved and final age of the Hindu world cycle).

''It was a serious crime committed against the woman by the accused. Similar heinous crime was committed in Manipur. Such crimes cause emotional hurt to the women. Strict steps are necessary to curb crime against women then only crime will reduce,'' the judge noted in the order.

He referred to an incident where two women were paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur last year. The court sentenced 14 men, including the husband Kanha Meena, and three women, to imprisonment terms ranging from five to seven years.

On September 1 last year, a video of the woman being stripped and paraded naked surfaced, revealing the incident occurred on August 31 in Nichlakota village, Dhariyawad town, Pratapgarh. The accused allegedly found the victim at the house of a man she was in a relationship with.

The seven-month pregnant woman was later taken to her father's house, after which she reported the incident to the police with her mother. An FIR was lodged, and the accused were charged. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met the victim and announced Rs 10 lakh compensation and a government job. A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the state police for the investigation.