Recently, there was shocking news from Jalandhar involving a young man who was gang raped. According to reports, four women allegedly stopped the man under the pretense of asking for directions. They sprayed something on his face, abducted him in their car, and coerced him to consume alcohol. In his intoxicated state, the man was sexually assaulted by the woman. The accused women are reported to be aged between 20 and 30 years.
Controversy has arisen in this case because in such incidents, usually men are considered guilty. At this time, when changes are being seen in the social and legal environment, this case is especially important. The victim is a laborer in a leather factory. He is married and having kids. He did not file a complaint with the police at the insistence of his wife, but this news went viral after coming on social media.
In the view of the law of India, such an incident is not rape. No one is against women, nor is ignoring the exploitation of women, but such a law is necessary for reporting and protecting cases of sexual harassment of LGBQ, third gender, and men. The courts have also affirmed this necessity. In such a situation, the argument for making rape gender-neutral cannot be rejected outright.
The incident in Jalandhar is not the only such case in which a man has complained of such an incident. However, there is no data on how many men have been raped in India. But such cases have come to the fore from time to time.
A major concern arises here whether this case comes under male-third gender excess rape, which is often ignored in society. Apart from this, some social organizations and thinkers are demanding a gender-neutral law in this matter. They believe that there should be no discrimination based on gender in the law, and such cases should also be seen equally.
