For the next 9 days, his friends broke in, drugged her and raped her. Medical examinations proved the sexual assault and now all of them have been arrested. To know the story in detail, click here.
We dreadfully await comments from some men who will now blame the victim for taking a lift from a stranger. We spoke to seven Indian women from around the country and asked them if it’s safe for a woman to take a lift from a stranger. Here’s what they had to say:
Ritika Kumar, a Journalist from Delhi says, “I did take a life from a stranger one day when I was drunk. That was a mistake and am never doing that again. When I hear stories like these, I know a lot men would say, “Oh, it’s her fault that she took a lift from a stranger. And may be she was there alone because she was looking for sex.” I believe it’s a huge risk in doing so. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Amritha Rajavelu, a Fashion Stylist from Bengaluru says, “While asking for a lift from a stranger, there is a definite chance that we might end up with a man with ill thoughts. This is not something that’s within our control. So it makes sense to avoid situations where we have no control. This is just a simple safety measure. Don’t give strange men/women control over you.”
Shashi Sutari, a Vancouver-based Indian student says, “I don’t think it’s as bad as we think. We just need to be cautious and make sure we inform someone we trust of the number of the car or bike, so we can be traced if something goes wrong. Being safe than sorry is the key.”
Ananya Banerjee, a PR professional from Delhi says,”In Delhi? No way! I wouldn’t take that chance. Well, with so many rape cases these days I doubt if a woman would take a lift from stranger be it a lady/man driver. You can never know what the consequences would be.”
Preksha Malu, a Mumbai-based Journalist says, “It really depends on the city. I have given lifts and taken lifts from guys. But it’s because I’ve known the roads and have kept my safety in mind. And always had a plan of attack if something happened. I wouldn’t just give or take a lift from anyone. This one time I took a lift from a Punjabi man. He was looking for the hospital his mother was admitted in and wanted to buy medicines. I was going the same direction so I told him to drop me and I showed him where his location was. There are students getting late for college or exams so I give and take lifts to them and to senior citizens. That’s because I feel very safe in my surroundings and area. The police patrolling is steady. However, I don’t do this at all in night.”
Divya Venkatesh, a Communications lead from Chennai says, “It’s very subjective. It all depends on which city you are in and what time of the day it is. At all times, we need to be cautious though.”
Jaya Lakshmi, an investment banker from California says, “I don’t think I personally would ask for a lift from a stranger. Of all that I’ve been reading lately, I must say am a little too cautious to be taking a lift from someone I don’t trust.”
Though all the women mentioned above have different stories to tell, one thing remains common, it’s not a woman’s fault if she takes a lift from a stranger. Being cautious and being prepared for self-defence is the key! What do you think?