Sold by father for Rs 10,000, repeatedly gangraped, young Hapur widow sets herself on fire

In a horrifying case that yet again highlights the poor state of women security in India, a young widow was sold by her father, gangraped by her ‘buyer’ and his friends in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur. According to the Times of India report, after the local police refused to listen to her and take any action the accused, the young widow in her 20s set herself on fire. The victim has suffered 80 per cent burns, and right now she is battling for her life, the TOI report said.

The report said that the father and the aunt of the woman sold her for Rs 10,000 to a man. The ‘buyer’, who had took loans from several people, decided to ‘repay’ the money by employing the widow as a domestic help at creditors’ houses. These men would not only make her do the household chores but also rape her.

Agonised by the constant, unimaginable torture, the woman decided to approach local police. Instead of registering her complaint, the police turned her away. Feeling dejected, the woman decided to set herself on fire. It was only on Sunday when the incident came to light that the UP Police sprung into action. Now, a case has been registered against 14 people, the TOI report said.

Since the woman is admitted in the national capital, the Delhi Commission for Woman has taken cognizance of the case. DCW chief Swati Maliwal has now written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and sought justice for the woman.

The Hapur news comes at a time when the Alwar gangrape in distant Rajasthan has caused massive outrage. On April 26, the accused stopped the couple's motorcycle on Thanagaji-Alwar road and beat the husband. They stripped the couple and raped the woman in front of her husband. One of accused also shot a video. "The incident occurred on April 26. This all happened for nearly three hours.

The husband of the victim has revealed the shocking apathy of Rajasthan police post their traumatic experience. He claimed that they were in a state of shock due to the incident and decided to keep quiet. But, when one of the accused called him and demanded money or else threatened to distribute the video on social media, they decided to file a police complaint. The 2017 crime statistics also point out at grim status of women safety in India. A look at the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) shows crime against women has increased by more than 200 percent over the last two decades, with rape incidents listing the top in offence chart.