In a tragic incident from Barmer city of Rajasthan, a distressed husband committed suicide after a man made sexual relations with his wife, allegedly without her consent, recorded the act and threatened to circulate the videos on social media. Fearing slander, the husband killed himself.
As per a report by Navbharat Times, the woman, a Hindu Dalit, went to the Balotra city hospital on 16 December 2022 for a routine check-up. On her way back home, one Gaffar Khan followed her. Finding her alone, he barged into her house and raped her at gunpoint. He also recorded the act and threatened the woman with dire consequences if she revealed it to anyone.
The woman told everything to her husband when he returned home. Gaffar threatened them that he would share her videos on social media.
The couple did not file a police complaint. Gaffar’s threats increased day by day, and the woman’s husband committed suicide.
As per a report by another Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar, the woman gave a police complaint on 20 December. In her complaint, she told the police that because of Gaffar, her husband had committed suicide. He hanged himself on the intervening night of 19-20 December.
Rashtra Jyoti called up the Balotra police station on 28 December. Head constable (munshi, one who keeps records at the police station) Ganesh Kumar said that an FIR (number—594/2022) was registered on the complaint by the woman. The accused was arrested by the police and further investigations were on.
He did not share details about the 164 CrPC statement with Rashtra Jyoti saying he was not authorized to do so.
He said the accused was booked under charges of abetment of suicide. Asked why charges of rare were not added, the officer said that the police are investigating if the relations were consensual.
Some Twitter users called his suicide “a cowardly act”; others said that Gaffar did so to humiliate “kafir” (infidel in Islam, considered the worst of sinners). A few comments from social media on this case are attached below:
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