In the Me Too movement, several prominent men were outed for sexual misconduct. Among these many names, one name was of advocate and activist Talib Hussain, who rose to the fame for leading protests and campaigns seeking justice for the 8-year-old girl who was raped in Kathua, in Jammu and Kashmir. Talib has now been accused of raping multiple women. After a Jawaharlal Nehru University student accused Talib of raping her, senior advocate, Indra Jaising withdrew from representing Talib’s alleged custodial torture case in the Supreme Court.

Activist accused of raping many women

In January this year, an 8-year-old girl from Gujjar-Bakarwal community- a minority Muslim community- was abducted and was raped in Rasana, Kathua. The details of the murder and rape of the little girl were soon all over the media that shook the entire nation. Talib was among the few activists who brought the Kathua rape into the public limelight. Talib who belongs to a Bakarwal community was also given police protection given the communally charged atmosphere around the rape case.

The first charges against Talib surfaced when his wife and female relative alleged domestic violence and rape, respectively. His wife had lodged a complaint on the charges of domestic violence and attempt to murder. Later his relative also filled a complaint alleging that he had raped her in Chadwa forest.

On October, 20, around the time the Me Too movement was getting more prominence, a student of JNU, anonymously narrated her account of against Talib for allegedly raping her. Although the woman did not directly reveal teh person’s name, who raped her but gave obvious references that the accused was the advocate and activist Talib.

“I remember crying in pain”

According to the Firstpost, she was one of those students who had invited him to JNU campus. She said that Talib started making conversation with her and in one of the conversations he also asked her to marry her. The woman told Talib how inappropriate his comment was yet he did not stop talking to her. According to her, Talib kept calling her on multiple occasions.

As per the woman, On 27 April, when the woman was out of her college, Talib called her almost 40 times and asked her to meet him outside her college campus. The woman said that she eventually gave in to his demands even when she did not want to go. She said that Talib was waiting for her in a car and he asked her to get inside it. He then took her to a place in Batla House.

“I remember crying in pain; but instead, he mocked me, saying ‘Tum bohot naazuk ho’ (You are very delicate). All the while he raped me, he kept insisting that he would do ‘nikaah’ with me, as if by declaring his intention to marry he would legitimise what he was doing. I was in great pain after that night; consultation with gynaecologists revealed that I had suffered an anal fissure. The injury remained for at least two weeks; during this time my pain and anger made me muster the courage to confront my rapist and demand that he acknowledge his crime. But his response was typical: he did not INTEND to hurt me, he had made a mistake, and why had I not stopped him then?”

“I support Me Too”

A day after Firstpost published the article, senior advocate Indra Jaising who was representing Talib’s case in the court in a petition limited to an enquiry into his torture in prison has withdrawn herself from the case. She has stated that in the wake of the new allegations against Talib, she would no more appear on behalf of Talib Hussain. She further said that gives her full support to the #MeToo movement.

Talking about the Me Too movement she also said that she considers the #MeToo movement to be revolutionary and transformative. Adding that she stood with the #MeToo movement and with the women who are publicly speaking up without any fear. She says that the Me Too movement has come organically to the doorstep of the law and from here there should be no going back. She also says that she will continue to support the family of the victim of the Kathua rape and murder.

Also Read: Big Names From Film And Music Industry Called Out In #MeToo Movement