INDIA: Family of three sisters raped and murdered in western India seek death penalty
Record ID:
1373602
INDIA: Family of three sisters raped and murdered in western India seek death penalty
- Title: INDIA: Family of three sisters raped and murdered in western India seek death penalty
- Date: 23rd February 2013
- Summary: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC MATERIAL / THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL BHANDARA, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (FEBRUARY 22, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) LOCALS HOLDING CANDLELIGHT VIGIL IN MEMORY OF THE THREE YOUNG SISTERS WHO WERE RAPED AND MURDERED LOCALS CHANTING IN ENGLISH: " We want justice!" GIRLS HOLDING BANNERS AND CANDLES MEN HOLDING CANDLES AND BANNERS DURING THE VIGIL LOCALS PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE VICTIMS WOMAN PLACING CANDLES BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPH OF RAPE VICTIMS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) GRANDFATHER OF THE VICTIMS, RAMUBHAU BORKAR, SAYING: "The culprits who are responsible for this heinous act should be given death penalty, this is our demand." MAHARASHTRA'S HOME (INTERIOR) MINISTER RAOSAHEB RAMRAO PATIL ARRIVING AT THE HOME OF THE VICTIMS PATIL ENTERING PATIL ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MAHARASHTRA'S HOME (INTERIOR) MINISTER, RAOSAHEB RAMRAO PATIL, SAYING: "The police are investigating the matter and are using all the information and leads that they have received. It is a serious issue and we have formed 10 teams of police officials and some other technical teams."
- Embargoed: 10th March 2013 19:45
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Crime,Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVA554UNY7VTE60BJ16BV7KBUNXR
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: The family of three sisters found raped and murdered in a village well in India's western state of Maharashtra seek the death penalty for those responsible
The bereaved family of three sisters raped, murdered and later dumped in a well in the Bhandara district of India's western state of Maharashtra are seeking the death penalty for those responsible.
"The culprits who are responsible for this heinous act should be given death penalty, this is our demand," said the girls' paternal grandfather Ramubhau Borkar during a news conference on Friday (February 22).
Post mortem reports of the girls aged 11, 6 and 9, confirmed sexual assault and murder, which in turn enraged locals on Wednesday (February 20).
Numbed by the incident, locals from all sections of the local community held a candlelight vigil to express solidarity with the victim's family.
Maharashtra's Interior Minister Raosaheb Ramrao Patil visited the victim's family on Friday before holding a news conference.
"The police are investigating the matter and are using all the information and leads that they have received. It is a serious issue and we have formed 10 teams of police officials and some other technical teams," said Patil
Reportedly, the girls were last seen leaving for school on February 14 and since then they had been missing.
The victims' classmates brought the school bags of two of the girls back to their home, after which their grandfather alerted the police and lodged a police complaint.
Two days later their bodies were recovered from a well, half a kilometre from the village.
This sexual assault and murder of the sisters comes just over two months after the horrific gang rape of a 23-year-old woman aboard a bus in New Delhi that sent shock waves across the country.
Issues of safety and security for women in the country have become a big issue after the infamous Delhi gang rape incident showed nationwide resentment against the cases of crimes against women.
India's criminal justice system is widely seen to have failed women who are sexually assaulted. One woman is raped every 20 minutes in India, according to government statistics, but the conviction rate is among the lowest in the world and one of the key reasons is lack of proper investigation. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None