When Aruna Shanbaug died on May 18 this year after lying in a vegetative state in a Mumbai hospital for over 42 years, it shocked nearly all of us who witnessed the debate of euthanasia a decade ago. No one wondered whatever happened to the man who sexually assaulted her and put her in that condition. Even more shocking was to know that no one knows that her assailant was never charged with rape.
The ward-boy who assaulted her and choked her throat by chain was never charged with sexual assault. He was only charged with attempted murder and robbery. Her well-wishers who hoped she would recover felt that the stigma of rape might tarnish her reputation and wanted to spare her and her family that trauma.
Does to save reputation of herself and the family, the victim should be kept quiet? Is this all what a democratic country teaches. Are the freedom of equality really matters in this country.
The ward-boy named Valmiki served his 7 years imprisonment and escaped out. This shows how the system failed Shanbaug. As per the newspaper reports, the gram panchayat will decide on fate of Valmiki after four decades. panchayats who ignites controversy especially diktats against everything.
The list is a long one – inter-gotra marriages, women carrying mobile phones, women wearing jeans. In the name of protecting the honour of the village, a panchayat can put itself above the law of the land. The question- are we going to shake our heads in the verdict of panchayat against Valmiki. He has been fired out of CISF job after Shanbaug died recently. Is this all enough?
Till Shanbaug was living in a vegetative state no one knows whereabouts of his assailants, its the reporter of Sakaal Times who tracked down Valmiki from his native village in UP. The first statement he received from Valmiki – “I don’t remember what happened”. Isn’t it more surprising the one who destroyed the life of a young nurse who was about to start her martial life with one of the doctor of KEM hospital, don’t remember what had happened.
Now the police are deciding whether a fresh murder charge can be added to the case given that Shanbaug’s death was finally a result of pneumonia. Most of us find it grossly unfair that Shanbaug spent 42 years confined to a hospital bed in a vegetative state while her assailant walked free after seven years. That does not feel like justice & justice are not always the same thing, especially in this country.http://www.realdude.in/aruna-shanbaug-rape-case-justice-or-no-justice/
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