INDEPENDENCE

NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: Because of some violence and intense sequences involved in some parts of this story, this needs parental guidance if children below(and above) 12 and 13 reads this story. The plot of this story was loosely based on 2012 Delhi Gang Rape Incidents, which caused widespread public reaction all over India. 

Vivekananda once said "if you give me 50 women I could change the world but you could give me 5000 men I don't think I could." 

This is quite hard to accept. But this is true. Even after this 74 years of independence, we neve respected women at any point of time. There are domestic violence, sexual harassment and child abuse against them. 

COIMBATORE, 10:00 PM: 

At 10:00 PM, a famous lawyer named Ramkumar returned to his house in his Dzire car and as usual went to his bed, for taking rest. At that time, he sees a man, wearing mask, to cover his face and waiting for him. The man opens his mask.

He seemed to be a guy from Indian Army, with sports-hair cut and having a thick moustache. He then tells to him, "Who are you?When did you come here?"

"Today only sir." Akhil said to him and he suddenly takes his gun and points towards him.

"Hey. What are you doing? Why are you pointing gun against me?" asked Ram.

Akhil replies him, "To save Justice from Injustice sir. You failed to save justice as a lawyer by supporting the people, who did a crime."

Akhil kills him by shooting three times. Knowing that the securities would come having heard the gun shots, he flees from the place by covering his face through the backside wall, from where he came inside the house and proceeds towards a bike, which he had stopped in the place.

He starts the bike and rides faster towards the house of his girlfriend Hasini and close friend Adhithya, who is waiting for his arrival to her house. He washes away his bloodstains in the hands while going to the house and hides the gun inside his bag.

Akhil goes to meet her and she invites him warmly inside the house. He refreshes himself in her house and starts his day afresh.

At the same time, in the house of Ram, the security finds him dead and immediately he informs to the police officer. The team led by SP Gokul Harikrishna enters to the crime scene and checks out the dead Ram to be one of the most prominent and close friend of a businessman Mukesh Rana. He decides to hold a meeting with his subordinates and told them, "Gentleman. That's it. Dead man isn't an ordinary man. Ramkumar. An advocate and criminal lawyer. This is official. Unofficially, he is a proxy to many politicians and industrialists. Let's be alert and knew who is behind this murder."

"Yes sir." The officers said.

FEW DAYS LATER: 

Few days later, Akhil follows Mukesh's four sons and notices their daily and routine activities by shooting their photos. He hides these from Hasini and lies to her that, "He is in some other works." On May 20 2019, Akhil follows the first son Sandeep Rana to the spot of Somanur, where he beats him up to death after reminding him about the girl named Amulya. The same way, he starts to finish off the other three sons of Mukesh and this creates an widespread tension among the public and police officers. Since, the method of murder is completely different. The first one was murdered with an electric current shock. The second guy was killed with a laughing gas, the third guy was killed through silane gas, which was opened by a people and he was burnt alive.

ACP Rahul, who is investigating this case writes a report to SP stating that, "Sir. This is completely different method of murder. The first one was murdered through electric shocks. Second one is through laughing gas. In the case of laughing gas, one would feel like tickling and then he would start to laugh uncontrollably. This was inserted before he was to drive the cat. The third guy was killed due to the silane gas."

Akhil now marks that, all these guys were finished off and takes off the books of Sherlock Holmes, Nitrous Oxide book(Laughing Gas) and Silane Gas precautions to the safer side of his place. When he is doing these things, Hasini finds out everything and she deduces that, "Akhil is the murderer and even Adhithya have helped him out."

At the same time, Rahul starts to investigate about the guys and Ramkumar's murder randomly. In further, he sees a Digital watch that's present in the crime scene of Sandeep Rana and he takes it. In that digital watch, he sees the calls gone to Adhithya for three times. Tracking his location, Rahul goes along with a few officers to arrest him.

However, as they are about to catch him, Akhil diverts them and outsmarts the police. The guys escaped from the place, along with Hasini, who is left in the state of shock.

FIVE HOURS LATER, ONDIPUDUR: 

Five hours later, a furious Hasini tells: "I know why you all are escaping da. You committed murders right? Tell me....Tell me." She confronts Adhithya and Akhil.

Furious, Akhil tells, "Yes. I indeed committed murder along with Adhithya. But, you know why? Few days ago, What happened first of all, you know ah?"

She looks at him gaze and shocked.

FEW DAYS AGO, 23 SEPTEMBER 2015: 

Akhil and Adhithya are close friends from childhood days. The two are raised up by Akhil's elder brother Krishna, who is one of the prominent lawyer in the city of Coimbatore. Krishna had a 23-year old daughter called Yazhini, whom Akhil treated as his own sister.

Yazhini dreamed to become an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla and was a brilliant student in IIT of Chennai. The guys were also in the same city along with Krishna. Yazhini is in love with Sakthi, who is his collegemate and their marriage and engagement gets fixed.

TEN DAYS LATER: 

Ten days later, Akhil and Adhithya went to Kashmir for Indian Army trainings and gets blessings from Krishna. They goes off for the training and the next day Akhil calls Yazhini.

"Yes brother. Tell me."

"Where are you ma?"

"I am going for my college bro. What are you doing? How is the climate there?"

"It's fine ma. Climate is pleasant and chill."

He hangs off the call, asking her to be careful. After getting trained vigorously for two years in Army, Akhil and Adhithya are posted as Majors in separate blocks of Air force and Army respectively. They fights in the borders and rescues people. The guys further fought off Counter Strike and Surgical Strike missions along with other officers, guiding them. In between those days, Akhil falls in love with Hasini, his collegemate, who came there for Medical training purposes.

16 DECEMBER 2018, 10:00 PM:

On 16 December 2018, Yazhini goes along with Sakthi to watch the film Bharat Ennum Naan, in the theatre at 8:30 PM. After the film, they comes in the town bus 64A at 9:30 PM towards Thondamuthur. While heading towards Thondamuthur, the driver diverts the bus from it's usual route and subsequently, five more people have already entered into the bus. Suspicious, Sakthi argues with them and in the ensuing scuffle, the group beats up Sakthi. In retaliation, he also beats them up and almost killed one of the guys. However, Sandeep gagged him and knocked the guy out of the bus with an iron rod. The four guys then dragged Yazhini to the rear of the bus and removes her clothes, after beating her with an iron rod. The guys raped her brutally while the bus driver continued to drive.

Henceforth, Sandeep was killed the same way with the iron rod which as per the medical reports is, "she suffered serious injuries to her abdomen, intestines and genitals due to the assault, and doctors said that the damage indicated that a blunt object (suspected to be the iron rod) may have been used for penetration. That rod was later described by police as being a rusted, L-shaped implement of the type used as a wheel jack handle." 

Yazhini further, attempted to fight off her assailants and she had beaten up three of her assailants. Both of them were threw off from the moving bus. Sandeep asked the guys to clear up the evidence of blood-stained Iron Rod and they cleaned it as told.

She is taken to the hospital, where both Sakthi and Yazhini eventually succumbed to the brutal injuries. Krishna decides to take up this case of his daughter's death and get the guys, a severe punishment. But, it's not an easy task for him, as like filing for a petition and arguing in the court.

To escape the law and punishments, Mukesh visits Lawyer Ramkumar and gives him the amount of 25 Crores. He takes the amount and agrees to bail them out. In the court of law, Ramkumar prepares a fake evidence against Yazhini and states that, "She had been attacked and everything is a mistake. But, giving the guys death punishment is not good."

Henceforth, the judge gave them the sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. Out of grief, one of the accused driver commits suicide by hanging himself in his house. The guys comes out through bail with the help of their family, which angered the family of Yazhini.

20 DECEMBER 2018 COIMBATORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, 8:35 PM: 

Unable to get justice to his daughter, Krishna consumes poison, when Akhil and Adhithya arrived to the place from their Army borders, having learnt about the incidents from one of their Army friends. Because, they went for a rescue mission for the past three days near Azad Kashmir. The guys rushed back to Coimbatore and reaches there by 8:35 PM.

By 9:40 PM, he goes to meet Krishna and the duo learnt that, "He failed to save his daughter because of the law, which supported rich people and drifted off poor people like them."

Before dying, Krishna gets a promise from Akhil and Adhithya that, "They would give severe punishments for the guys, who have gang raped Yazhini." After cremating him, Akhil goes back to Kashmir and gets a leave from his senior officer Colonel Prakash.

Prakash learned from him that, "He is doing duty within the country also" and agrees to his mission and leave. He asks them to be careful. Because, they are dealing with civil case.

"What's the name for this mission Akhil?"

"Mission Nirbaya sir." Adhithya and Akhil said. At first, they read about the culprits involved in this gang rape and marked Lawyer Ramprakash as first. After doing some necessary plans, the guys murdered Ramprakash and proceeded to kill the people, involved in the rape.

PRESENT: 

"You too know this case. But, you don't know that, she is my sister. We didn't tell you. Even now, we didn't want you to see suffering. That's why, we didn't tell you about this." Akhil said.

 "She wished to become like Kalpana Chawla. But, she died before that. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna stated that: "A woman is like water, she merges with anyone she meets. Additonally he said that women erase their existence like salt and also bind the family together with their love and love and respect. She never lets her husband face any kind of problem and always keeps the family happy." 

"Even after 74 years of independence, women didn't get safety environment. They are unable to go independent, unable to go peacefully and they have to fear. Is it? If they come alone, men harass them either verbally or sexually. What's the kind of things these all? In which society are we living Hasini? I won't leave this as such. I and Adhithya are going to surrender to the court and are planning to express our grief." 

Akhil said after which, a convinced and dejected Hasini tells them to fight off against the Injustice. The guys surrendered to the police, where Mukesh's favored police officers brutally tortured the guys, as per his insistence and orders.

THREE DAYS LATER: 

Three days later, the guys were taken to the court, where several people have gathered with slogans, "Say no to punishment of Akhil and Adhithya, Support the guys, Support for the welfare of women and Stop harassment against women." There could be around 3000 to 5000 people, in and around the High Court of Madras. 

The guys are taken inside the court, with several lawyers and people looking at the guys in surprise and pity. Then, the judge asked them: "Don't you have any lawyers, to speak in favor of you two?"

"No sir." Adhithya said. However, the people hears the sound of "I am there to support the guys, your honour." They sees a lawyer, raising up his hands, who have been wearing a black coatshoot with thick moustache and box cut hairstyle. The lawyer's name is Dinesh and is 29 years old young man.

He goes inside the courtroom and the opposition lawyer gives up his statements, "Honourable court. The said guys are great Indian Army officers. They have fought in the borders and rescued several people from the clutches of terrorists. But, the same guys have brutally killed good and influential people Mukesh Rana's four sons respectively along with Ramprakash. Just for the reason that, they didn't get harsh punishments. What's the justice in these kind of a dastardly act? If they start like this, many would do like this. Guys like them should be severely punished in the court of law." 

"Objection, my lord." Dinesh stood up and stated, "The one point that the opposition lawyer told is strictly condemnable. The act that these guys did were not a dastardly act. But, a right punishment for the brutal rapists. For these kinds of brutality, these guys should have been punished with life imprisonment, fine and death sentences as per the IPC Section 354, Section 377 and Section 354 respectively. It's as per the law of India. But, in other countries like USA, France, Russia and Saudi Arabia law and Sections are severe. They are either killed or beheaded by those governments. Here only, we are very lenient sir." 

Fifteen minutes later, the judge again returned and asked to the guys, "Are you wishing to tell anything to this court?"

After looking a while the guys told yes. Adhithya tells, "Sir. One rape was reported every 16 minutes in India in 2019. In 2019, the national average rape rate (per 1,00,000 population) was 4.9, slightly less than 5.2 in 2018 and 2017. However, the small dip may be attributed to data for West Bengal not being available. As of 2019, Nagaland (0.8), Tamil Nadu (1.0), and Bihar (1.3) had the lowest rape rates among the states of India, while Rajasthan (15.9) had the highest rape rate. These statistics do not take into account rapes ending in murder and attempts to rape, which are counted separately by police in India." 

"Two important qualities a theory of justice should account for are impartiality/objectivity and sensitivity to consequences. It is sin to commit injustice,but it is a greater sin to tolerate injustice" holds true...that is if one continues to tolerate the injustice being done now, then it gives the offenders the courage to continue with their sins...and there shall be no end to it. This is said in Bhagavad Gita sir." Akhil said to them and further stated that, "India won't develop until we respect and love women as our sisters. We used to say that: "India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters" whenever we are taking a pledge. In reality we are exactly opposite to the oath that we take in the hall." 

"In the 74 years of Independence, we saw Industrial Growth, resource growth, rise in percapita income and employment increase. However, we failed to ensure safety measures against the everyday crimes in India sir. We duo used to fight in the borders against terrorists and baddies." Adhithya said.

"We thought that the enemies are outside the borders whenever we fought against them. Then only we itself realized that, traitors and poisonous snakes are roaming inside our country. Crimes and rapes are also the things, which we thought to stop despite the fights across the borders sir." Akhil said. At that time, Adhithya stated: "Independence won't come unless one raise their voices for honesty, truth and compassion against the injustice, greed and lies the situations will not change on its own.We need to speak the truth even if our voice shakes. It takes a lot of courage, efforts to stand up for what you believe in and it may involve lot of risks as well.What you allow is what you continue...Never ever be bullied in to silence, for you will allow yourself to be made into a victim. Do not let some one get comfortable by disrespecting you. One needs to stand up for what one believes in even if it means standing alone...It does take a lot to stand alone. One should refuse to be disrespected at all no matter what. You cannot always be nice,people will take advantage of you...you have to set boundaries. Being quiet will only let her enemies take advantage of her and they shall continue to do what they had planned. Every person needs to set boundaries beyond which they should not let any one do any damage to them, allowing some one to disrespect or mistreat you should never be acceptable no matter what...at times one has to stand up alone to face the injustice." 

"Mr. Dinesh. Are you wishing to say anything about this?"

After a while, Dinesh replied saying: "My Lord. The guys have told everything that I, as a lawyer should tell you. Crimes and harassment against women are high. Infact, if they goes out in a night and come late means, they are deemed to be bad and it's not in case of men. They can drink, the can smoke, etc. If a women does this, she had been framed as prostitute, etc, etc, etc. I am sorry my lord." After pausing for a while, he said: "If a women says no, it means no, my lord. No have everything. Man have no rights to touch her, kiss her and force her. It's for everyone. Wife, sex worker, girlfriend and prostitutes. If they says no, it means no. We don't even have rights to harass or disturb them." 

The judge then asked to the Opposition lawyer about his statements. He replied saying: "For these many hours, I acted in favor of my client my lord. But, now I wished to act in favor of women and state this. What these guys told were bitter truth, which we all should have to accept eventhough if it's painful and hard hitting. To stop these kinds of crimes, law should be severe and rigid. In addition, women should be brave enough to retaliate against their assailants and they should always be bold. Then only, we would be told to have got 100% of republic and indepence." 

Having heard of everything, Judge gives his final verdict stating that, "As per the words of opposition lawyer, accused guy's lawyer and the words from guys, we have to be vigilante and rigid against crimes and harassment. Additionally, Republic never comes until we are aware about the present societal issues and problems, that we witness in our everyday life cycle. Considering the thing that these guys have done good for the society, they are released without any charges. They can be reinstated into the Army again. To stop these crimes, Union and State Government are asked to pass severe law and punishments. Jai Hind." 

Akhil and Adhithya feels elated and thanks Dinesh for helping them out. While we dejected and guilt Mukesh shoots himself dead in his house, having realized his mistakes. He additionally, redempts his act of supporting his four son's unforgivable crime. The guys walk along with Hasini outside the court, where a women police salutes both of them and Dinesh. While going outside the court, Akhil sees the quote, "Finally, Truth prevails after so many struggles and difficulties" near to the wall of the exit. 

Then, Adhithya sees the slogan, "Respect Women and Stop Harassment" lying downside and he takes it and places it near to the other side of the wall, when they are going.

EPILOGUE: 

Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. According to the 2019 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 32033 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 88 cases daily, slightly lower than 2018 when 91 cases were registered daily. Of these, 30,165 rapes were committed by perpetrators known to the victim (94.2% of cases), a high number similar to 2018. The share of victims who were minors or below 18 - the legal age of consent - stood at 15.4%, down from 27.8% in 2018. On the other hand, rapes by juveniles remained high in India with 3 minors being arrested for rape, assault and attempted violence on women and girls each day in 2019. 

India has been characterised as one of the "countries with the lowest per capita rates of rape".The government also classifies consensual sex committed on the false promise of marriage as rape. The willingness to report rapes have increased in recent years, after several incidents received widespread media attention and triggered local and nationwide public protests. This led the government to reform its penal code for crimes of rape and sexual assault. 

According to NCRB 2019 statistics, Rajasthan reported the highest number of rapes among Indian states. Other states in the hindi heartland region, across North India, such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, also have the highest incidence of sexual violence against women. Among metropolitan cities, the national capital of Delhi continued to have the highest incidence of rape at 1253 cases in 2019, while Jaipur had the highest rape rate (per 100,000 population).

 Earlier this year, I woke up to news of two brutal cases of rape and murder in India. The news was made more devastating for the fact that both victims were minors. In the following weeks I observed a familiar pattern unfold — public anger, media frenzy and promises of stricter laws by legislators. There was a strong sense of Déjà vu in the air, accompanied with a sinking feeling that the needle hadn't moved forward in all these years. 

The death penalty is easy political candy to hand out to angry and upset citizens, but it's much harder to work on justice systems that guarantee swift, certain punishment for sexual assault or to limit the violent patriarchies that cause rape in the first place 

Before we dive into the visuals lets look at the Indian law that defines what a rape crime is. Here is section 375 of the Indian Penal Code. 

§375. A man is said to commit "rape" if he 

• penetrates his penis, to any extent, into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

• inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, the urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

• manipulates any part of the body of a woman so as to cause penetration into the vagina, urethra, anus or any part of body of such woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

• applies his mouth to the vagina, anus, urethra of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person

under the circumstances falling under any of the following seven descriptions 

• Against her will 

• Without her consent 

• With her consent, when her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested, in fear of death or of hurt 

• With her consent, when the man knows that he is not her husband and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or believes herself to be lawfully married 

• With her consent when, at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome Substance, she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent 

• With or without her consent, when she is under eighteen years of age 

• When she is unable to communicate consent

Explanation 

• For the purposes of this section, "vagina" shall also include labia majora 

• Consent means an unequivocal voluntary agreement when the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act; Provided that a woman who does not physically resist to the act of penetration shall not by the reason only of that fact, be regarded as consenting to the sexual activity

Exceptions 

• A medical procedure or intervention shall not constitute rape 

• Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape 

Some observations here: Firstly, in 2017 the Supreme Court ruled that since the age of consent is eighteen, any sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife aged between fifteen to eighteen years, Section 375 exception not withstanding, is indeed rape. Secondly, the Section 375 exception still stands for victims of marital rape above eighteen years unless the couple has legally seperated. This is understandably one of the most contentious parts of the existing legal framework. Despite popular support for outlawing marital rape, the government in power at the time of writing has filed legal papers to prevent such a change. 

The following interactive is the record of a citizen's inquiry. It uses data from the National Crime Record Bureau's 2016 report to visually explore some facets of reported rape crime as well as the systemic dysfunction of the Indian justice system in tackling reported rape crime. A conversation is a prerequisite for solving a problem of this scale, and I hope that this piece can serve as a visual framework to kickstart civic discourse about the issue with our families and everyday friends, whether it be at the dinner table or the local cafe. 

Thirdly, the law is gendered — it assumes that rape crime is commited by a man against a woman. As it stands this law fails to protect people who have been sexually assaulted by members of the same sex. Sexual acts between members of the same sex, forced 🏳️‍🌈or consensual 🏳️‍🌈, are charged as an offence under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Fourthly, it is worth noting that Section 90 of the Indian Penal Code, reproduced below, may invalidate consent given under misconception of fact. This section seems to be the basis for a fair number of reported rape crimes in which the accused is a person who allegedly obtained consent under the pretext of marriage. 

§90. Consent known to be given under fear or misconception 

A consent is not such a consent as is intended by any Section of this Code, if the consent is given by a person under fear of injury, or under a misconception of fact, and if the person doing the act knows, or has reason to believe, that the consent was given in consequence of such fear or misconception.