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Incident
The Jhabua nuns rape case refers to the gang rape of four nuns in the Jhabua district of Madhya
Part of a series on
Aftermath Pradesh in India on September 23, 1998, by tribal men.[1] Around 18-26 men barged their way into the
Ashram where the nuns lived and ransacked the entire ashram and some of the men gang raped the
Violence against
Investigations
Christians in India
nuns.[2][3]
Convictions
Incidents
Reactions 1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
Incident [ edit ] 1998 attacks on Christians in Dangs district
References 1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence
The nuns came from Tamil Nadu came to the Nawapura village in the predominantly tribal, Jhabua
1999 Ranalai violence
District at October 11, 1997 to set up a Medical Clinic at the Preetisharan Ashram. Three of them were 2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal
aged between 25-30 and the fourth one was aged over thirty. They soon made the village their home.[4] 2008 Kandhamal violence
2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case
The four nuns lived alone in the ashram which was looked after by two watchmen. The in-charge of the
2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
ashram was a priest, who is also their nearest neighbor, lived 500 meters away. The area also lacked 2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka
street lights and its becomes entirely dark after evening.[2] Related topics
Freedom of religion
At night, about 2 a.m on 23 September, a group of men came to the ashram and requested the nuns to
Violence against Christians in India
come with them claiming that a some children at a nearby village were ill. The nuns told them to call the Religious violence in India
watchmen, who were supposed to guard the ashram were asleep at the residence of the priest in- Religious persecution
charge as the priest went to the town of Dahod for some work. The men started to force their way in by · ·
trying to break through the fold-able metal grill outside the main door. Realizing their intentions, the nuns
blew whistles to get the attention of the watchmen who were asleep half a kilometer away. The men managed to break through the metal grill, the main
door and to the one of the rooms the nuns locked themselves in.[5] The men vandalized and ransacked the entire premises, gold and silver ornaments
including approximately 20,000 rupees cash was reportedly stolen.[2]

When the attackers started to leave, some men stayed behind and told the others that they would join them later and then dragged the nuns outside the
ashram and took turns to rape them. According to the police, the fourth nun was not raped because she appeared older and got beaten up for trying to
stop the rape.[2][6] While the nuns stated that all four of them were raped.[7]

Aftermath [ edit ]

The Chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh visited the village and hinted that the attack was a plot by Hindutva groups against the
Christians.[8] He also related the incident with the chasing away of the Muslims in Godhra, Gujarat by the militant organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad.[2]
A Jhabua court issued a warrant against Digvijay Singh then state chief minister and 14 others for alleged remarks on the 1998 Jhabua nuns rape case
accusing Hindutva organisations of being involved in the incident, following a civil defamation suit filed by a local lawyer.[9] A Bhopal court cancelled the
warrant after Digvijay appeared and furnished a surety bond for Rs. 5,000.[10][11]

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharathi claimed that 12 of those who raped the Christian nuns were themselves tribal Christians, later L. K.
Advani made the same statement in the Parliament.[12] However, five days after the incident, the local Superintendent of police(SP) arrested 15 men and
the nuns identified all of them. The SP reported that none of the arrested tribals were Christian.[1][13] It is also reported that only 6 families in the two
villages are Christians.[2]

Investigations [ edit ]

The most widely spoken theory among the tribals is that a tribal man named Samna had problem with the nuns, paid two local gangs for the assault on
the mission. Locals claimed that the man had fallen in love with one of the nuns and was upset when she repulsed him.[7]

The crime reportedly obtained communal and political color after the former BJP Member of the Parliament and VHP leader, Baikunt Lal Sharma justified
the gang-rape as the result of "the anger of patriotic, angry Hindus".[14][15]

A fact-finding team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited the district and said that the episode is not just a case of rape, robbery and
molestation, but points to a larger conspiracy. The NCW pointed out that the tribals were never known to rape women. They came across a report of a
man owing the nuns some money and getting angry when asked to pay. The NCW also reported that the villagers depended on the nuns for informal
education and medical help because of the lack of government services in the area.[14]

Congress MP, KantiLal Bhuriya accused the BJP for aiding communal elements infiltrating Jhabua from Gujarat and Maharashtra.[6]

The President of the Madhya Pradesh Christians Association, Indra Iyengar said that another catholic mission was attacked by vandals just miles away
from the Nawapura village and Bajrang Dal members attacked another mission and uprooted it's fence. She also said that "3 attacks within a span of 5
days shows that someone has a hidden agenda."[16]

Convictions [ edit ]

In April 2001, Seventeen men were convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment by the district and sessions court. The men sentenced
were Daru Mansingh, Khemraj, Pidiya, Pappu, Kenu, Chatra, Badra, Ruma, Kesaria, Kamji, Bhurji, Daru Dhanna, Ramesh, Chamna and Bhitra.[17][18]

In April 2017, the police re-arrested Pidia Singaria, after he escaped his parole in 2006 and escaped from police ever since.[19][20]

In March 2019, an escaped accused Kalu Limji was arrested by the police after 21 years.[21] The Police reported that, of the 26 accused, 24 were
arrested immediately after the incident and 13 were acquitted, while 9 were sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court.[22]

Reactions [ edit ]

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) accused the nuns of Conversion and the organisation's secretary B. L. Sharma claimed that the incident reflected the
"anger of patriotic Hindu youth against the anti‑national forces".[23][24]

The spokesperson for the Bhartiya Janata Party and the editor of BJP Today, Kanchan Gupta said, "It's only a rape."[25]

Head of the organization Bajrang Dal, deputy head of the VHP and a former BJP member of parliament, Baikunt Lal Sharma said that the nuns "were
asking for it."[25]

Rajya Sabha MP Mabel Rebello said it is not a minority issue and only a women's issue.[6]

References [ edit ]

1. ^ a b Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Politics 13. ^ The politics behind anti Christian violence : a compilation of investigation
by Other Means: Attacks Against Christians in India" . Refworld. Retrieved committee reports into acts of violence against the Christian minorities.
2020-04-05. Puniyani, Ram. Delhi: Media House. 2006. p. 486. ISBN 81-7495-237-3.
2. ^ a b c d e f "Rediff On The NeT: Syed Firdaus Ashraf reports from the MP OCLC 182969294 .
village where three nuns were raped last week" . m.rediff.com. Retrieved 14. ^ a b "Rediff On The NeT: NCW demands judicial inquiry into nuns' rape" .
2020-04-05. www.rediff.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
3. ^ Mahmood, Tahir, 1941- (2001). Minorities Commission : minor role in 15. ^ Bauman, Chad M. (2015-02-02). Pentecostals, Proselytization, and Anti-
major affairs (1st ed.). New Delhi: Pharos Media & Pub. p. 119. ISBN 81- Christian Violence in Contemporary India . Oxford University Press. p. 170.
7221-018-3. OCLC 48508180 . ISBN 978-0-19-026631-8.
4. ^ "Madhya Pradesh nuns' rape case: After 21 years, gang-rape accused 16. ^ N. K. Singh (October 12, 1998). "Political parties politicise attacks on
arrested by police" . www.timesnownews.com. 5 March 2019. Retrieved Christian community in Madhya Pradesh" . India Today. Retrieved
2020-04-05. 2020-04-05.
5. ^ "Catholics protest against gang-rape of nuns". The Statesman. September 17. ^ "rediff.com: Gang rape of nuns in MP" . www.rediff.com. Retrieved
24, 1998. 2020-04-05.
6. ^ a b c "Rape Of The Innocents | Outlook India Magazine" . 18. ^ "Jhabua gangrape: Convict who jumped parole held after 11 yrs" . India
outlookindia.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05. Today. Press Trust of India. April 18, 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
7. ^ a b "Rape Of The Innocents | Outlook India Magazine" . 19. ^ "It took 11 Years, But Man who Raped Nun Finally Arrested: Jhabua" .
www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 2020-04-06. SabrangIndia. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
8. ^ Indian, The Logical (2019-03-06). "MP: After 21 Yrs Of Jhabua Nuns 20. ^ IANS (2017-04-18). "Nun rape case convict re-arrested after 11 years in
Gang-Rape Case, Police Arrest Absconding Accused" . MP" . Business Standard India. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05. 21. ^ "21 years after Jhabua nuns' gang-rape, accused arrested" . dtNext.in.
9. ^ "I never thought something like this could happen in our village. The nuns 2019-03-05. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved
were so good to us" . Rediff. 2020-04-05.
10. ^ "Warrant against Digvijay cancelled" . The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 22. ^ "21 Years After Jhabua Nuns' Gang-Rape, Accused Arrested: Police" .
December 2003. Archived from the original on 24 June 2004. NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
11. ^ "Two held in MP nuns rape case" . The Indian Express. 23. ^ "Hindu militants justify attacks on nuns". Agence France-Presse.
12. ^ Don't give communal colour to atrocities, warn ministers Indian Express September 29, 1998.
- 16 December 1998 24. ^ Dalits and Human Rights: Dalits: the broken future . Gyan Publishing
House. 2005. p. 233. ISBN 978-81-8205-274-1.
25. ^ a b "V. ATTACKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY" . www.hrw.org. Retrieved
2020-04-05.

· · Rape in India [hide]

1990 Bantala rape case · 1998 Ajmer serial gang rapes case · 2009 Shopian rape and murder case · 2012 Delhi gang rape ·
2013 Kamduni gang rape and murder case · 2013 Mumbai gang rape · 2014 Badaun gang rape allegations · 2014 Birbhum gang rape case ·
2015 Kandhamal gang rape case · 2017 Unnao rape case · 2019 Hyderabad gang rape and murder · 2020 Hathras gang rape and murder ·
Notable cases 2020 Patna-Bhabua Intercity Express gang rape · 2022 Hyderabad gang rape · 2023 IIT-BHU gang rape · Ajmer rape case ·
Anjana Mishra rape case · Aruna Shanbaug case · Ayesha Miran rape case · Bhanwari Devi case · Geeta and Sanjay Chopra kidnapping case ·
Imrana rape case · Jalgaon rape case · Jhabua nuns rape case · Kathua rape case · Kiliroor sex scandal · Kunan Poshpora incident ·
Mathura rape case · Phulmoni Dasi rape case · Ruchika Girhotra case · Soumya murder case · Suryanelli rape case · Vachathi case
Asaram · Bitti Mohanty · Dhananjoy Chatterjee · Falahari Baba · Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh · Maninder Pal Singh Kohli · Santosh Madhavan ·
Convicted rapists
Swami Premananda · Kuldeep Singh Sengar

Other articles Human rights abuses in Kashmir · Violence against women during the partition of India

Categories: Rape in India History of Madhya Pradesh (1947–present) Crime in Madhya Pradesh 1998 crimes in India
Violence against Christians in India Violence against women in India Persecution of Christians by Hindus

This page was last edited on 7 June 2023, at 08:19 (UTC).

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