NEW DELHI, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Police in the southern Indian state of Kerala Sunday decided to drop charges against a 23-year-old woman who had chopped off the genitals of a self-styled Hindu godman for allegedly raping her for years.
"Initially we had planned to charge the woman under various sections of self-defense under the Indian Penal Code, but we have now decided not to frame criminal charges against her," said a police official, on condition of anonymity.
The woman, a final-year law student, had cut off with a knife the genitals of the Hindu religious teacher, identified as Gangeshananda Theerthapada, late Friday night when he allegedly tried to rape her, and then called the police herself.
According to the woman, Theerthapada would come to her house to perform prayer rituals for her sick father's health as her mother had hoped it would ease the family's woes, but instead he would assault her at every opportunity.
The 54-year-old alleged rapist is currently undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where he was rushed to after the incident and had an emergency surgery.
While Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has praised the victim's bravery, saying that it was "a courageous and strong act", several women's rights groups gave extended support to the woman for the act.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 brutal and fatal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student by six men on a moving bus in the national capital.
The gangrape sparked nationwide protests and forced the Indian government to frame strong laws against sexual violence against women. And four of the men have been sentenced to death by India's Supreme Court earlier this month.
