Truth wins: Muzaffarnagar gang-rape survivor after court convicts 2 men
What's the story
A trial court in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday convicted two men for gang-raping a woman during the 2013 communal riots in western UP.
The verdict came nearly 10 years after the incident, following which the survivor (36) remarked, "Truth has won. Finally, everyone will know that I was saying the truth."
Notably, another accused in the case died in 2020.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, riots erupted in western Uttar Pradesh, killing 60 people and displacing thousands of Muslim families. Several reports of sexual violence emerged from Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts.
Over the years, six other complainants in the case retracted their statements, reportedly due to constant threats and harassment.
The verdict came after the survivor approached the Supreme Court in March.
Convicts
The convicts knew the survivor beforehand
The convicts, Maheshvir (60) and Sikander Malik (36) were found guilty under sections 376(2)(g), 376D, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for gang rape, unlawful sexual contact, and criminal intimidation.
Maheshvir reportedly worked at a government-owned liquor store in Muzaffarnagar, while Malik worked at a sugarcane factory.
Accused Kuldeep Singh, who died in 2020, owned an electrical repair shop.
Turn of events
What happened on the fateful day
The fateful day, the woman's husband had taken their eldest son to a doctor while she stayed back to look after their three-month-old child.
As a mob came near her home, she ran to the fields with the infant. However, the convicts, whom she knew beforehand, caught up with her.
They threatened to kill her child and then gang-raped her.
Details
Judgment deliberately delayed: Advocate Vrinda Grover
Reportedly, the survivor's counsel, Advocate Vrinda Grover, and her team filed multiple affidavits about the threats she received and the tampering of evidence.
Grover moved the SC around two months ago, stating that the case wasn't being heard due to several reasons.
After the verdict, Grover said the judgment was deliberately delayed to exhaust the survivor so that she accepts the hush money.