Hyderabad 25-year-old alleges she was sexually exploited by 139 persons over 10 years

A 25-year old woman in Hyderabad lodged a complaint with the Punjagutta police that she has been sexually exploited more than 5,000 times by 139 persons over the last 10 years. The woman has named several artists, lawyers, media personnel, businessmen, student union leaders and others from various walks of life in her complaint. She has also mentioned that she is unaware of the names and details of several people who exploited her. A few women have also been named in the list. Based on the woman’s complaint, a 42-page FIR was registered by the Panjagutta police. According to the complaint, which TNM has seen, the woman got married in June 2009. Three months after her wedding, several of her husband’s family members subjected her to sexual harassment. In December, she moved to her parents’ place after she got divorced. In the complaint copy, the woman narrates the various kinds of harassment she was subjected to which includes details about how her private photos and videos were taken, how she was allegedly gang raped several times, often drugged, forcibly made to dance and was also inflicted with cigarette burn injuries. Quite often, she alleges, she was threatened to be killed if she refused to give in. In the complaint, the woman says that the people named will be responsible in the case of her death, and she is alive in order to ensure that no other woman faces such exploitation. She has also said she delayed complaining about the sexual exploitation fearing threat to life. She said she had shared her ordeal with an NGO, which gave her moral support. The case was registered under several relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code: sections 376 (2) (public servant committing rape by taking advantage of his official position), 509 (insulting modesty of a woman), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (a), 354 (b), 354 (c) and several sections of the Prevention of Atrocities (SC, ST) Act. READ: Hyd scholar dies after 'false’ positive COVID-19 test led to delay in treating stroke