NDTV and mainstream media did what it does all the time: whitewashing the crimes of an accused if he is a Muslim.
On Saturday (May 7), news came in that one maulana raped a woman in Odisha for 79 days on the pretext of helping her resolve a family dispute. The maulana committed the crime with the help of the victim’s husband and her in-laws.
NDTV and others simply reported that a ‘tantrik’ raped a woman in Odisha. They did not name the accused.
The victim was married in 2017. She has a two and a half-year-old son and has marital problems.
Her husband, in-laws and brother-in-law discussed the issue with Maulana Shoraff and agreed to leave the victim in Maulana’s custody for some ritual to resolve the dispute.
The Maulana locked the victim in a room with her son. On the pretext of performing the ritual, he raped her for 79 days. One day Maulana had gone out and left her phone in the room.
The victim used the phone to tell her parents and relatives about her ordeal.
Subsequently, a police complaint was lodged, and the police team reached Maulana’s place to rescue the victim. Maulana had fled the scene by then, and a manhunt had been launched to catch him.
In her complaint, the victim narrated that after six months of marriage, her mother-in-law had started torturing her for not bringing enough dowry. She also said that her husband started an illicit affair immediately after the marriage.
Her mother-in-law tried to convince her that sleeping with the Maulana would help her in resolving the dispute with her husband and would also ensure that no harm comes to her way.
“A case has been registered in Jaleshwar Police station under relevant IPC sections, an investigation is underway,” Balasore Superintendent of Police Sudhanshu Mishra told India Today.
