Rajasthan woman tortured by in-laws after she fails 'virginity test'

Jaipur: A 24-year-old woman in Rajasthan's Bhilwara was allegedly forced to take a "virginity test" by her in-laws who thrashed her after she "failed" it, and called a panchayat that asked her family to pay Rs 10 lakh, police said Monday.

According to the case filed in the case on Saturday against her in-laws, the woman has alleged she was made to undergo the "test" on the first day of her marriage on May 11 in Bhilwara.

She alleged in the FIR her husband and his family assaulted her after she "failed" the "test" and that they convened the Khap panchayat at a local temple on May 31 which asked her family to pay Rs 10 lakh.

Police said the woman told her in-laws she had allegedly been raped by a neighbour sometime before her marriage and that a rape case was filed at Subhash Nagar police station.

Station House Officer (Bagor) Aayub Khan said the police investigated the matter after it was reported in the local media and a case was lodged against her in-laws on Saturday.

Mandal DSP Surendra Kumar said the woman is a victim of Kukadi Pratha, prevalent among the members of the Sansi nomadic community. "This is a social evil known as kukadi pratha in Rajasthan."

He said after the matter came to light, a "factual report was submitted and a case registered in the matter."

In a video clip, the victim purportedly says, "I failed in the rituals which were performed in the afternoon. Thereafter, discussions happened till late at night. I did not say anything out of fear. Then I was beaten up by my husband and in-laws."

She says she told her in-laws about the rape incident that happened before the marriage.

Police said the accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 498A (dowry), 384 (extortion), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) against the in-laws.

 

What is kukadi pratha?

Kukadi pratha is a patriarchal practice in which the husband and parents-in-law check whether the bride is a virgin or not. Kukadi refers to the layer of cotton thread used.

To check the virginity status of the woman, cotton thread is kept on a white bedsheet. As per traditional beliefs, a virgin woman's hymen stays intact and she bleeds during her physical intercourse with her husband.

In kukadi pratha, the parents-in-law check whether the cotton thread or the white sheet has blood stains. If not, the woman is declared not a virgin.