More on Indian Minorities
Pinki is a Female: Calcutta High Court Drops Rape Charges against her
Athlete Pinki Pramanik charged of rape and cheating has been exonerated by Calcutta high Court. The Asian Gold medalist was facing charges of rape brought by her live in partner, a woman in June 2012 who had accused her of not marrying her despite promising marriage. Also that she was a male who had misled the world as a female.
Charges had been framed against the athlete on the basis of the woman’s complaint under sections 376 (rape) and 418 (cheating) of Indian penal Code by the Barasat court sessions judge.
Pinki had been arrested by male policemen, made to undergo sex determination tests that were leaked to public, put in male prison and subjected to jeering and torture and media prosecution. Though her situation irked human rights activists, the public trial went on for long making her a vulnerable social minority. An employee of Eastern Railways, she was subjected to severe criticism, ostracization and rejection.
Last Friday, Justice Subrata Talukdar quashed the charges of rape and cheating against Pramanik after more than two years of trial. Challenging the charges, Pramanik had moved the high court in 2013 and prayed for quashing of the charges against her. Her counsel Kaushik Gupta submitted before Justice Talukdar that medical examination conducted on her that proved that she was a woman.
Gupta stated that according to under Indian law only a man can be accused of rape and as such charges of rape and cheating against Pramanik be quashed.
