Sex assault claims politicians to face ban in India rape backlash

The country’s highest court is to rule on an application to ban regional and national MPs who face sex charges as part of demands for tougher laws.

Thousands of women gathered at the memorial to independence leader Mohandas Gandhi yesterday to demand stronger protection for their safety as protests over the killing continue.

Police are preparing to formally charge six suspects in the gang-rape and killing in the capital two weeks ago.

The 23-year-old woman, who has not been named, and a male friend had boarded a bus to make their way home to Dwarka in south-west Delhi after watching a film.

After beating the man unconscious, the physiotherapy student was stripped, raped and tortured by six men on board the vehicle who were armed with an iron bar before the pair were thrown from the bus.

The attack has triggered outrage and demands for stronger laws, tougher police action against those accused of sexual assault and a sustained campaign to change society’s views on women.

Chief Justice Altamas Kabir agreed to hear a petition this week from retired government administrator Promilla Shanker asking the Supreme Court to suspend all politicians who are facing prosecution for crimes against women. She also asked the court to force the national government to fast-track thousands of rape cases that have languished in India’s notoriously sluggish court system for years.

Six state MPs are facing rape prosecutions and two national ones are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.

In the past five years, political parties across India nominated 260 candidates awaiting trial on charges of crimes against women. Parties ran six candidates for the national parliamentary elections facing such charges.

“We need to decriminalise politics and surely a serious effort has to be made to stop people who have serious charges of sexual assault against them from contesting elections,” said Zoya Hasan, a political analyst.

Several thousand women joined a silent march to Gandhi’s memorial in the capital in memory of the victim, holding placards demanding “Respect” and “Justice.” Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit joined the women for a prayer session for the victim.

The government has set up a task force to monitor women’s safety in New Delhi and to review whether police were properly protecting women. Indian police have been accused of hostility towards women reporting sex offences and of failing to investigate complaints.

The family of the victim – who died on Saturday at a hospital in Singapore – is struggling to come to grips with the tragedy.

“She was a very, very, very cheerful little girl and she was peace loving and she was never embroiled in any controversies like this. I don’t know why this happened to her,” her uncle, Suresh Singh, said.

The family is calling for stronger rape laws and demanded swift – and harsh – justice for woman’s assailants.

“If the government can’t punish them, give the rapists to the people. The people will settle the scores with them,” Mr Singh said.