On 5 Feb 2012, an Anglo Indian (mother of two) was raped at gunpoint in a moving car by four married men. When the woman traced the accused on a social networking website and approached the police station the policemen welcomed her complaint by passing lewd comments on this regular victim affected by a regular crime and refused to file the complaint. The government appreciated her courage further and identified this incident as an attempt to malign the government. A woman may be raped but a state cannot lose its face in saving her reputation.  However, after getting the time to read the medical report police realised that the complaint wasn't bogus and is convinced that she doesnt belong to the opposition and had no interest whatsoever in slapping the government for its failiure to protect women in the state. I am sure you all have read this news a several times in last few days.

This piece of news has not emerged from a far flung village in WB. I am talking about the Capital of the state, Kolkata. Capital of a state ruled by a woman. The street where she was abducted from is the cultural hotpot of the city. I am sure most of us who read this news are aghast by the indifference and callous attitude of not just those 'cant-care less' attitude bearing policemen but also of the State Government.

Nearly after 64 years of Independence, nearly 21 years of economic liberalisation, dawn of a thousand NGOs working for upliftment of women and after pronouncement of a plethora of judgments laying down the directives dealing with the procedure in dealing with rape victims, are we back to the law less age????

The streets which burn and smell like charcoal on mere announcement of lower subsidies, reservation number games and on news of visit of a celebrated author who wrote a controversial book (which in all probablity wasnt even read by any of the protestors at the gates of Jaipur Literature fest) are quiet and there is nobody on the street asking the question as to "what hell is going on?????".

May be I am getting too emotional about this but I can't hep it as I find this too disturbing and each one has his own saturation point. I am just too disturbed with the thought as to how the policemen at Pak Street Police Station had the courage and liberty to ask the victim as to how the accused were able to rape her in a moving car and if she would be interested in catching up with them for a few drinks at the club where she was abducted from.

During my IPC and Law of Evidence classes, I have read several judgments where the Honble SC has laid down directives for protection of women in such cases. There are plenty of cases where the courts have established the rule and expressed concern that when a rape victims approaches the police, it should be ensured that that she should not be made uncomfortable by any uncalled for questions or no derogatory remarks should be made and police should exercise extra sympathy while recording her statement. Provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 which allowed admittance of the sexual history and reputation of the complainant in court have have been thrown out of the window. Still the age old questions survive and haunt us as to whether or not these steps and plethora of judgments are enough and whether the laws protecting women still lack teeth.