While in the times, when our country is struggling to keep its women and kids safe from the sex-deprived monster, this incident would sound like if it’s straight from the movie.
17 years ago, on August 13, 2004, Bharat Kalicharan also known as Akku Yadav was lynched in a courtroom by almost 700 women in broad daylight. He was a gangster, robber, home invader, kidnapper, serial rapist, extortionist, and serial killer.
Yadav’s Judgment Day
When Yadav’s bail hearing was scheduled on 13 August 2004 in India’s Nagpur District Court, the word spread through the neighbourhood that the court might release him. There were rumours that police had planned to keep him in custody till everyone calm down and then they would release him.
This made hundreds of women to march from the slums to the courthouse carrying vegetable knives and chilli powder. They walked into the courtroom and took seats near the front. As these women were waiting for the court proceedings, Yadav walked in without the slightest remorse. Rather he was bursting with confidence.
When Yadav appeared in the court, he saw a woman that he had raped. He mocked her and called her a prostitute. He shouted in front of everyone that he would rape her again. As per the sources, even the police reportedly laughed.
It was then a woman, who was sitting in the front started hitting him in the head with her chappal. She told Yadav either she would kill him or he would have to kill her saying, “We can’t both live on this Earth together. It’s you or me.”
Yadav was then lynched by a mob of 200-400 women, who showed up in the courtroom. He was stabbed almost 70 times and chilli powder and stones were thrown at his face. Women also threw chilli powder in the faces of police officers, who were guarding him. Policemen were so overwhelmed and terrified that they left the scene. The lynching took place in Nagpur District Court No. 7 on the marble floor of the courtroom.
When Yadav was being lynched, he was horrified and yelled: “Forgive me! I won’t do it again!” But the women refused to empathize with him. They kept passing their knives around and kept stapping him. As per the report, each woman agreed to stab Yadav at least once. His blood was splattered on the floors and walls of the courtroom.
Yadav was 32 years old, and was hacked to death in 15 minutes, for crimes that he committed over the span of 10 years. The women said the murder was unplanned. The united action was a result of word of mouth.
A Celebration Of Justice
When women returned to Kasturba Nagar and told the men that they had killed Yadav, a celebration erupted in the slum neighbourhood with music and dance. Though five women were arrested immediately but released following demonstrations in the city. Every woman living in the locality claimed responsibility for the lynching. After a decade of Yadav’s lynching, all women accused of lynching were acquitted for lack of evidence.
Yadav & His Unending List Of Heinous Crimes
For many years, Yadav and his associates shamelessly gang-raped women and girls as young as age 10 as a warning to those who resisted him. For years, Yadav had been terrorising families, mostly Dalits, living in Kasturba Nagar. During his life, Yadav murdered at least three individuals. He tortured and kidnapped people, invaded homes, demanded money, shouted threats, and abuses.
But it was rape that humiliated the community.
Residents of Kasturba Nagar say that Yadav’s rape victim lives in every other house of the slum. He violated women to control men, ordering his henchmen to drag even girls as young as 12 to a nearby derelict building to be gang-raped. He raped more than 40 women and girls.
Even though dozens of rape victims reported the crime, there was no police action. The 32-year-old was never charged with rape. He would bribe the police – gave them money and bought them drinks – to convince them not to catch him.
A woman, named Kalma, was gang-raped by Yadav and his men, ten days after she gave birth. After what happened to her, Kalma committed suicide. She burned to death after dousing herself with kerosene and lighting it.
As per the reports, Yadav’s gang pulled another woman from her house when she was seven months pregnant. They stripped her naked and raped her on the road in public view. Sadly, several victims were sent away by the police saying that they’re of loose character and that’s why they were raped.
A Case Of Denied Justice
At IFORHER, while we want to celebrate women who stood for themselves. We want to bring it to notice that Yadav’s case is an example of denied justice, police laxity, and lack of intent to protect women. It is sad how the law failed its people. But, we want to focus on how this article is neither attempted to advocate or defend any sort of violence by the victims. As a part of civilized society, we hope the law would proactively punish those who exploit the vulnerable and make a mockery out of our judiciary system. What do you think?