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Is marriage a shield for a rapist?
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Baripada (Orissa): It’s a love story turned sour and then sweet say jail officials in Orissa - who held a man convicted of rape marrying his victim. 20-year-old rape accused Khaira Hansda married his 18-year old victim - Padmini Murmu.
The couple was in a relationship. But once Padmini became pregnant, Khaira ditched her. On Padmini's complaint he was arrested on charges of rape. However, now he says he wants to make amends.
"I now realize that I had done a mistake. My parents did not agree to the marriage and so I refused to accept her," says Khaira Hansda, the rape accused in the Baripada circle jail in Mayurbhanj district.
Ironically, even Kahira's 'victim' is ready to forgive and forget. She says all that she wants is to get married to him.
"I do not want punishment for him any more. I want to live with him with my child," says Padmini Murmu, the victim.
Skeptics say a marriage proposal by a rapist to his victim could have motives, like lessening the term of punishment. Recently the Supreme Court said a rapist's crime couldn’t be condoned by proposing marriage to the victim. But jail authorities in Orissa differ on this.
"Any judicial ruling cannot be implemented literally. We must understand the spirit of the Supreme Court's judgment. For a typical rape case the judgment is fine but in cases like this the accused should be given a chance to repent provided the victim also wants to give him the chance," says T S Chakraborty, Additional IG, Prisons, Orissa.
After the Supreme Court's order the debate over the marriage proposals by rapist to the victim continues. In case of the Baripada incident the rape accused Khaira hopes to get a bail soon so that he can reunite with his family.
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