In a shocking incident, a man who attempted to rape a woman was sentenced to two slaps as punishment by the district panchayat in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur.

The Times Of India reported that Nitesh Bhagat, who allegedly has close ties to Congress MLA Vinay Bhagat, was accused of attempting to rape a 20-year-old woman.

The video of the incident surfaced online, where two women – the survivor’s sister and Bhagat’s sister – can be seen slapping him, following which Bhagat is asked to touch the victim’s feet as indication of an apology.

The incident occurred when the woman was returning from college and Nitesh, while on his way back home, offered her a lift. The survivor alleged that she initially agreed, but Bhagat soon started molesting her while driving the bike.

She further claimed that he drove her to an isolated location and attempted to rape her, but she struggled and fled the scene.

On reaching home, she narrated the incident to her family, who later took the matter to the gram Panchayat, where the punishment of ‘two slaps’ was deemed fit for the crime.

According to the Jashpur SP SL Baghel, a case has been lodged against the accused, who has not been arrested yet.

On being asked if the police would take action against the panchayat members, the SP said they are investigating the case.

The Logical Indian Take

This type of sentencing to a crime as serious as attempt to rape shows the apathy of society and its lack of concern when it comes to safety of women.

Just two slaps as punishment for rape allow perpetrators to get away with the crime, and maybe attempt it again. They might even succeed the next time.

Unfortunately, as the country waits to see Nirbahaya’s rapists get the punishment they were sentenced to, as many as seven years after the crime was committed, the safety of women in India continues to be at stake.

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