A rape victim invariably faces compelling pressures that impose a shroud of silence over her violations. Such pressures come from within the family and, more pervasively, through the norms and codes of society. Where the agents of state are responsible for such violation the social power that men exercise over women is reinforced by the authority of the uniform. It is rare enough for the woman to press charges. When she does – all too often a variety of pressures are brought to bear on her to compel a retreat.
This is the story of Rajjo who was allegedly raped in Dakshanpuri PS of Delhi, who was arrested along with her husband for not for the crime which she committed. She was brutally tortured, mauled and raped. After first pressing charges, she retracted at a later stage. The incidence was widely reported in newspapers. PUDR did a fact-finding and came out with this report.
To download the report, click below:
A Rape and a Retraction: The Saga of Dakshinpuri
