13.12.2006 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Vulnerability of tribal women ("SAARC Human Rights Report 2006") [ID 18227]

"Tribal women were extremely vulnerable to sexual violence. In 2005, a total of 640 rape cases were reported against the Scheduled Tribe women as compared to 566 cases in 2004. During 2005, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rape cases against Scheduled Tribe women (294) accounting for 45.9 percent of the total rape cases of tribal women in the country.[128] On the night of 9 December 2005, the right hand of a tribal woman Kamlabai was chopped off in an attack on her family by the upper caste men at Nigari village in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. The attack was made following her refusal to withdraw her complaint of rape against two upper caste villagers Manmod Singh Mehra and Siyaram Raghuvanshi despite repeated warnings. The assailants barged into the house of the victim, dragged her to the courtyard and brutally chopped off her hand with an axe after tying her hands and feet. They also beat up her family members and set afire the house. The victim had filed a rape case against Manmod Singh Mehra and Siyaram Raghuvanshi with Silwani police station on 9 April 2002. On 27 September 2005, the victim's sister filed another complaint alleging rape by Manmod Singh Mehra.[129] The police arrested five persons identified as Manmod Singh, a schoolteacher, Devi Singh, Premnarayan, Ramsevak and Dinesh Raghuvanshi in connection with the attacks on 9 December 2005.[130]"

Document(s): Open document