Over 5,000 Sign Petition to Dismiss Chief Justice
"Caused Victims Lifelong Suffering"
Citizens are raising their voices in protest against the Indian Supreme Court, which sparked controversy by suggesting that a man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a female student should "marry the victim." / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Amid controversy over the Indian Supreme Court's absurd ruling proposing that a man accused of threatening and sexually assaulting a female student marry the victim, it has been reported that thousands have signed a local petition calling for the dismissal of the Chief Justice.
On the 5th (local time), according to the British media outlet The Guardian, more than 5,200 Indian citizens had signed a petition demanding the removal of Sharad Bobde, Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court.
In the petition urging Chief Justice Bobde's resignation, the petitioner wrote, "The perpetrator stalked the victim, tied her up, gagged her, and sexually assaulted her multiple times," adding, "He also threatened to pour gasoline on her body and burn her alive."
They strongly criticized, "By forcing the victim to marry her rapist, the Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice has effectively blamed the victim and condemned her to a lifetime of suffering."
Earlier, on the 1st, during a bail hearing for the defendant accused of sexual assault, Chief Justice Bobde said, "This is not about applying pressure," and stated that if the defendant does not marry the victim, he must be prepared to face the risk of imprisonment.
The defendant is a government official accused of stalking and sexually assaulting the female victim for several years while she was attending high school.
Regarding the Supreme Court's proposal, the defendant responded, "At first, I proposed (to the woman), but now I cannot marry her," adding, "I am currently married to someone else."
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Bobde has previously sparked controversy by expressing the view that "sexual intercourse during cohabitation cannot be considered rape."
In another sexual assault trial held on the 1st, he stated, "When two people live as husband and wife, the husband may be cruel and make mistakes," and asked, "But can sexual intercourse between them be called rape?"
Indian women's organizations and others reportedly criticized Bobde's remarks, interpreting them as "comments that seem to deny recognizing sexual abuse between spouses as a sexual crime."
However, according to The Guardian report, Chief Justice Bobde did not provide any response to these criticisms.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
