By Uzma Zafar
I always knew that there were aplenty of incidents of domestic violence, hate crimes against women, rapes, molestation of both genders and exploitation of transgenders even, regardless of age. But never ever had I ever even imagined that such an incident would take place on the motorway with a woman who is not just a woman but a mother and that too, in front of her two innocent kids! Had it been in India, the matter won’t be that shocking as most of the men there are frustrated and animals, barbarians! But happening here in my dear country, that’s sick!
All those who have been commenting that why was the lady travelling alone on the motorway and not GT Road, well most of us deem the motorway safe as it is easier to travel, especially with kids, with frequent stopovers on the way, with food and washroom facilities and all plus the journey is shorter with no humps and bumps and smooth roads. Then questions are being heard regarding her travelling at night, without a male. Well, there could be any emergency but her night travel is totally her prerogative and irrelevant in the entire scenario. She should have checked her fuel before travelling, fine. Her mistake but still, not such great that she should be traumatized with such an ugly incident that would also scar the very personalities of her kids.
There is an eye witness who called the cops and saw one man dragging the lady and the other standing by the car. By the time the cops did arrive, the victim was scared, broke yet brave for her kids who were clutching on her for life. The case is not that hard to solve. The incident was reported as soon as it happened. So DNA traces plus the victim are enough to formulate a sketch of the culprits and get them booked along with the statement of the eye witness of course. Forensics can check into the DNA and match them with the victim and suspects.
In all this it is not a matter of why it happened. What has been done is done with. What is the matter of concern is that such an incident should never happen again and that would only occur if the motorway victim’s rapists are given such a punishment that should terrify the very soul of any such lusty men who are out to rob and molest anyone who is moving their way to their destination.
I ask the people with useless comments, would it have been fine if she was travelling with a male and that man was murdered right in front of his family, on the G.T., and the woman then raped? Or is the incident fine because it is not related to someone around u? No, violence in any contest and that too, this brutal, a gang rape of mother before her kids is totally unacceptable! In fact, rape in every form is commendable!
The very incident has caught the social media like wildfire and every sane individual, let that be of any gender for that matter, is having his and her blood boiled to the core. It is high time that the authorities take such action not only in resolving this critical case but also in increasing the patrol on motorway, far and wide, especially at night! The positive part is that suspects have been caught as they used the lady’s ATM card. But still they are suspects!
I can’t even imagine that woman’s ordeal who was dragged to the fields and then subjected to rape, after her car windows were broken. All through the horror the poor soul must be concerned about her kids and their safety. It is high time that the cops like CCPO be educated to give a suitable approach and response to the victim, instead of hiding behind the ‘whys’. The victim’s physical wounds would go off in time but the bruises on the very soul of her and her kids would take a long time to heal, if they ever will! There are three victims in this incident, two silent and one bearing pain but the psychological pain is shared by all of the three!
The culprits should be subjected to such a brutal punishment that no one should ever dare to indulge in hurting anyone let along playing with her dignity! Only then we women would feel safe inside and outside our homes and the society would be a place worth living in as it is our society, not just any male’s jargon! We all are humans and all humans have a right to dignity and self-respect!
