An online petition seeking protection and justice for two low-caste Indian sisters allegedly threatened with rape by a village council has gathered over 175,000 signatures in a week, Amnesty International India said on Monday.
The human rights group began the petition last week after 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari, her 15-year-old sister and their family were forced to flee their northern India village in May after their brother eloped with a higher caste, married woman.
An un-elected village council, dominated by upper caste “Jat” men, in Uttar Pradesh state on July 30 allegedly ordered the two “Dalit” sisters be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother’s actions.
Himanshi Matta from Amnesty International India said the petition called on the government to take all steps to ensure the safety of the family so they can return home and for an investigation into the rape order and prosecution if necessary.
“The family is currently seeking shelter with their elder son who is a police constable in Delhi. They are too afraid to go back to their village home as they have received threats and their home has been ransacked,” Matta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The petition to Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has so far attracted the attention of over 176,000 people, mostly on its British website since it was launched on Aug 24.
Only 17 people had signed Amnesty’s India site, said Matta, attributing this to the family getting more international media attention than local media coverage.