In a significant legal decision, a Jaipur special court on Wednesday acquitted eight individuals who had been accused of glorifying the act of sati, a banned practice, following the death of Roop Kanwar 37 years ago, which is considered India’s last known case of sati.
The court’s decision comes after a prolonged legal process in which the defendants were accused of organizing an event to honor Roop Kanwar on the first anniversary of her death. The event allegedly celebrated the act of sati, which involves a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, a practice banned under The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987.
The acquitted individuals include Mahendra Singh, Shrawan Singh, Nihal Singh, Jitendra Singh, Uday Singh, Dasrath Singh, Laxman Singh, and Bhanwar Singh, all of whom had been out on bail. The Special Judge of the Sati Niwaran Court, Akshi Kansal, gave them the benefit of doubt, citing insufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Speaking to the media, Aman Chain Singh Shekhawat, the defense lawyer, stated, “The court ruled that the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations that an event glorifying sati had occurred, or that any of the defendants were directly involved.”
Roop Kanwar’s case has been a focal point in discussions about sati in India. She was just 18 when she allegedly committed sati in September 1987 in the village of Divrala, Sikar district, following her husband Maal Singh’s death. The event had a profound impact on the community and led to significant public and political uproar, influencing legal and social discourse regarding women’s rights and cultural practices.
Of the original 45 accused in the case, the majority have now been acquitted or passed away, with the verdicts spread over several years reflecting the complexities involved in enforcing the anti-sati legislation.
