Women beat ‘rape politician’ in India (VIDEO)
Indian protestors march behind a banner as they take part in a candlelight procession in Guwahati on December 29, 2012, after the death of a gang rape victim from the Indian capital New Delhi. Indian leaders appealed for calm and security forces headed off fresh unrest by turning New Delhi into a fortress after a student who was savagely gang-raped died in a Singapore hospital. Police threw a ring of steel around the centre of the Indian capital after news of the 23-year-old medical student’s death was broken in the early hours by the Singapore hospital that had been treating her for the last two days.
Another alleged rape is making news in India, but this time, the details are murkier.
A prominent Congress leader is accused of "seducing and subsequently raping" a married woman. The accusations come from the woman's husband.
It has yet to be established that the politician is actually guilty of rape, but authorities have apprehended him.
"Bikram Singh Brahma, Congress coordinator of Bodoland Territorial Council, has been arrested after being caught by the victim's husband when he was raping the woman," a police spokesman told India Today.
The initial allegation prompted villagers to take the law into their own hands. Video footage shows men and some women hitting and beating Brahma. Later in the video, a group of women is shown removing Brahma's shirt, while male villagers look on.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the alleged victim's husband is telling the truth, “or if this was a case of consensual sex,” a police official told the Wall Street Journal. Police say that Brahma had a friendly relationship with the woman he allegedly raped and that he had promised her a high post in Congress. He later visited the woman's home while her husband was gone.
More from GlobalPost: Alleged Delhi gang rapists tried to run over victim
Unclear remarks by police have added to confusion over the exact accusations Brahma faces. "It seems that Brahma had been taking advantage of the woman for quite some time by giving her hopes that he would make her beneficiary of various government schemes," a police spokesman told the Hindustan Times.
Reporters could not seek comments from the woman because information about her has not been provided to the media, the Wall Street Journal said.
The new accusations come after a 23-year-old woman died last month following a horrific gang rape in Delhi. The story highlighted the widespread sexism and danger to which women in India are regularly exposed. The brutal rape provoked angry protests, which have now spread beyond India's borders to neighboring countries.
As Slate reported, men are also getting involved in the protests — but some are hurting the cause with patriarchal attitudes. "Some male protesters appeared steadfastly sincere," Slate says, "but many more seemed to be interested in protecting women in the more old-fashioned, oppressive way."