The protests have also focused on another rape allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker in the crime-ridden, most populous, poor northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The national outrage has drawn parallels with the massive protests that followed the gang rape and murder of a girl on a Delhi bus in 2012, which forced the then Congress-led government to enact tough new rape laws including the death penalty. Two of the eight on trial are police officers who stand accused of being bribed to stifle the investigation. Ahead of the trial, she said she had been threatened with rape and death for taking up the case. Activists say crimes of violence against women are often inadequately investigated, and in some cases accused with political connections have been protected.

Source: bd News24 April 16, 2018 08:48 UTC