Just another Saturday in India: At least three rape, sexual assault cases hit headlines

While the police have acted by booking the accused, the larger question remains: what systemic changes are being made to prevent such occurrences?

TT, PTI, 19.10.24 : Sexual violence in India persists despite massive protests following the murder and rape case of the 31-year-old PGT doctor in Calcutta's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

For a short while, there is a surge in public outcry, but the structural flaws continue. Every case serves as a stark reminder of the continuous cycle of violence and the futile nature of justice.

In Uttar Pradesh, a seven-year-old girl was abducted by a man and bludgeoned to death with a brick after a failed rape attempt, police said on Saturday. The accused was arrested following an encounter with police.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that he tried to rape the girl but when she started shouting, he hit her head on the wall several times. He then killed her by hitting her on the head with a brick and fled by jumping from the back wall of the house, according to police reports.

In Maharashtra's Thane, police have arrested a man from Bhiwandi taluka for allegedly molesting a five-year-old girl by offering her sweets, an official said on Saturday.

"The 22-year-old accused, identified as Mohammad Arju Badrealam Shah, approached the minor and offered her sweets while she was playing. He then touched her inappropriately. Scared, she ran to her mother and narrated the incident. Soon, people nabbed and thrashed him," an official said.

In another incident, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man at a bus stand in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri, police said on Saturday.

According to the girl's grandfather, he had gone with his wife to get the children some fruits and had left them behind with another person accompanying them. On their return, the grandparents found the girl had blood stains on her body, and she told them about the assault, he said.

The accused allegedly threatened the girl and raped her, he said.

The child was taken to the police station and then shifted to the district hospital for treatment, the official said.

The district hospital's civil surgeon, BL Yadav, said the girl was out of danger.

While the police have acted by booking the accused, the larger question remains: what systemic changes are being made to prevent such occurrences?

Despite stringent laws, these cases continue to surface, reflecting a societal failure to ensure women's safety.

An army man was booked in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly sexually harassing and assaulting a woman constable of the Railway Protection Force, a police official said on Saturday.

The incident took place outside Gwalior railway station late Friday night, he added.

"The army man sexually harassed the RPF woman constable and also beat her up. Her colleagues reached the spot and brought the accused to us," Padav police station in charge Santosh Bhadoriya said.

Just another Saturday, but each case is a reminder that the fight for women's safety is far from over.