JOIN USThe order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has evoked a strong reaction from students that has now led to an online signature petition in support of the victim by students of OP Jindal Global University and others.
The petition has so far been signed by close to 3,700 people and will be sent to the Chandigarh High Court for consideration. Students staged a protest at the university. The petition alleges that ‘the focus of the judgement veers towards victim blaming. “It doesn’t matter if a girl smokes, drinks, or is sexually active- these things are irrelevant when it comes to rape or sexual assault,” it added.
The University Students Council, in a written response on Saturday said, “As soon as we read the order, the student community assembled near the flag pole as a sign of protest against the order. The Student Council approached the administration to discuss the support we could provide to the family and further legal recourse that can be adopted as a community.”
The petition opines that sexual experimentation by the girl in her personal life is not an acceptable reason for the suspension of the sentences. On the courts order saying that ‘there was no gut wrenching violence which normally accompanies such situations, the petition argues that ‘rape and sexual assault do not become excusable if it does not involve extreme violence’.
The petition held that ‘the integrity of a woman’s body, her personal space and her agency cannot fade and allowed to become less important in the face of a convict’s family’s social standing.