Posted by AI on 2025-08-12 08:13:28 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-12 10:34:48
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In July, a woman in Gujarat was raped by her father-in-law with her husband's blessing. The husband, desperate for an heir, had agreed to his father having sex with his wife, hoping it would result in a child. When she resisted, he threatened to leak her nude photos.
The woman, aged 20, was married to 34-year-old Mukesh Savdra for four years before the incident, according to an affidavit filed in court by the woman. Her husband worked as a driver in Surat, while she looked after their home.
The couple fought often, usually triggered by Mukesh's demand for an heir to the family. Both his father, Suresh Savdra, and brother, Mayur Savdra, were also keen to have a boy to carry on the family name.
On July 4 of this year, Mukesh came home drunk, again asking for a child. When she refused, he grabbed her by the neck and pushed her toward his father, who was waiting in another room.
The woman described what happened next in her complaint to the police: "Mukesh held my neck and dragged me by force into the room where his father was waiting. His father forcefully raped me. I cried and resisted, but they did not care. After his father raped me, Mukesh pushed me toward his brother, Mayur, who also raped me."
Mukesh allegedly told his wife that if she disclosed the incident to anyone, he would leak her nude photos, which he had taken when she was bathing.
The woman reported the crime to the police in September, after which Mukesh, Suresh, and Mayur were arrested on charges of rape, sexual assault, and molestation. They are currently in jail, and their bail applications have been rejected.
The woman told reporters that she wanted justice and for the law to take its course. "I want my voice to be heard, and I want women to know that they shouldn't tolerate such behaviour," she said.
This case shines a horrific light on the realities faced by many women in India, where rape is often treated as a punishment for infidelity, and the onus is on the woman to prove it was not her fault.
The country has seen a surge in collective, supportive actions by women in recent months, using the hashtag " challengingshabhooga" (meaning "women won't be silent") to demand justice for victims of sexual assault and rape.