Bihar Gang-Rape Survivor Breaks Down In Court As She's Victim-Shamed, Arrested For 'Contempt of Court'

Why was the victim arrested?

• A 22-year-old "gang rape survivor" was imprisoned on charges of deterring procedures of the court by a civil court in Araria district of Bihar. The court likewise accused two social workers of the similar wrongdoing for helping her.
• As per the police while recording her statement in the rape case before a Magistrate in Araria, the lady purportedly raised her voice, demanding she would sign the statement only after one of the activists has seen it.
• The lady had filed a complaint at the Araria women's police station on 7th July in which she claimed that she was assaulted on 6 July. After an FIR was filed, she had been called to record her statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC on 10 July.

The ‘gang rape’ case:

• In her complaint to the police on 7 July, the lady stated that she had gone out with a man at the night of 6 July to learn how to ride a bike. After a while, they had stopped at a place wherein 3 more guys came and forcibly took her to an abandoned area, adding that the men then called another to join them.
• Later, all 4 took turns to rape her and then left her, threatening to return again once more if she informed the police.
• According to the complaint, the man she had gone with was hand-in-glove with the alleged rapists as he left the location without a word while the 3 men approached them and forcibly took her away.
• The complaint additionally stated she received “threatening calls” from the man she knew, and also the others, the same night. She approached Kalyani Badola of Jan Jagran Shakti Sansthan the following day for help, and the NGO then helped her get an FIR registered.

The charges against three women:

• According to the FIR registered against the three ladies, they “misbehaved” with the presiding officer.
• The FIR also stated the complainant went out of the magistrate’s chamber and argued with the courtroom researcher, using abusive language.
• The three were booked under IPC Sections including 353 (assault or criminal force to stop public servant from doing their duty), 228 (attempting to insult and disturb judicial proceedings) of IPC and under Sections 188, 180, 120 (B) of the Contempt of court Act.

This incident indeed was an insensitive act towards the victim. Do you think we need better laws to protect the women in our country? Let us know in the comments below.