Panchayat in Agra lets rape accused off with five shoe strikes and Rs 15,000 fine
rape accused was allegedly let off by a panchayat in Uttar Pradesh's Agra district after just five shoe strikes on his head and a fine of mere Rs 15,000.
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The incident reportedly happened in the Shahganj area of Agra district.
As per a report by the Times of India, the panchayat asked the rape survivor to hit the 20-year-old accused five times with a shoe on his head. To preserve family honor, the panchayat decided not to approach the police even though it was informed of the incident.
The accused reportedly raped the woman on July 25.
On the evening of July 25, the woman from Bhogipura left her home. When she did not return by 9 PM, her family lodged a complaint with the police, accusing a local youth of abduction. Police reached the village to investigate, but community members intervened, claiming they would locate the woman themselves. Five hours later, the community brought her back and asked the police to halt the investigation, citing family honor.
During the panchayat meeting, the woman stated that the accused had lured her, spiked her drink, and raped her. The panchayat then ordered the accused to be hit with a shoe by the survivor and fined him Rs 15,000. A video of the incident, widely circulated on social media, shows the accused being hit and then walking away calmly.
In 2016, in a similar incident, a Khap panchayat offered Rs 50,000
