A 38-year-old woman was beaten with a blade by four people in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's capital city, for refusing efforts at sexual assault, police said on Sunday. She had 118 stitches on her face. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met with the woman and announced a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh in addition to covering her medical bills.
Trigger Warning: The contents of this article have mentions of brutal physical violence and sexual assault.
On Friday night, the incident occurred in Bhopal's TT Nagar neighbourhood. According to Chain Singh Raghuvanshi, in charge of the TT Nagar police station, the woman, who works as domestic help, was riding a two-wheeler with her husband in the TT Nagar neighbourhood when they stopped at a shop to buy a water bottle.
When her husband entered the business, the four accused, one of them was a minor, made filthy remarks. Raghuvanshi continued, "She protested it and challenged them, following which she slapped one of the offenders."
The accused fled the scene when a group of locals began to gather. Later, as the woman and her husband rode their bikes home, the accused attacked her with a blade, according to the officer.
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38-Year-Old Woman Beaten With Blade
The woman's face was stitched up 118 times on her face. Badshah Beg (38), Ajay Sibde (18), Nikhil (18), and a 17-year-old boy have been identified as the suspects, according to Raghuvanshi, who added that they had been brought into the jail.
"An FIR has been filed against them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)." "They'll be brought before a court soon," he said.
The accused will face severe punishment, according to the chief minister. "The state government will cover the medical costs." After seeing the woman, Chouhan stated, "Plastic surgeons and doctors will take care of her."
He also praised the survivor for showing courage and said that she had become an example to others. "Injustice should not be tolerated." Against it, we must fight. "She has been an inspiration for others since she bravely challenged the criminals," the CM stated. "The district collector has been given the necessary instructions to take care of the woman's daughter and son's education."
The survivor and her husband, Sunil Solanki, also accused the police of indifference, claiming the case was filed under non-serious provisions. Seema has also urged that the accused be punished severely so that no one else dares to commit such an atrocity in the future.
According to DCP Sai Krishna, the woman was admitted to the hospital when the case was filed, therefore exact details of the injury were not available. The police stated, "We will take action after collecting medical reports, and the rowdies are being searched."
Seema's courage is surely commendable but should women have to always protect themselves from abusers ? The Bhopal woman's horrific experience on the road is yet another reminder that women in India are not safe at all.
Feature Image Credit: The Free Press Journal.
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