New Delhi: While much hue and cry has been raised over rising incidents of crime against women, it seems little has changed on the ground.
While the government has enacted strict laws to punish those involved in crimes against women, the culprits still move around freely with no fear of law.
In light of the above, what is even more disturbing is to know that gory rape videos are now easily available for sale in markets in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh at a throwaway price.
According to a Times of India report, rape videos are being sold in hundreds in these markets, right under the nose of the district administration.
In view of the huge demand for exclusive rape videos, video clips, which are 30 seconds to even 5 minutes long, are being sold in these markets, priced anywhere between Rs 50 to 150.
Though one has to put a little effort in order to get such video clips, it's easier for those who come to dealers through some ''trusted'' source.
Dealers will initially not talk about it in the open, but after some "reference" from a trusted customer the deal is open and rampant.
After price bargain, the dealers download videos directly into the customers' smart phone or put them in a pen drive.
" Sometimes individuals or organised gangs download such stuff from Twitter, Tumbler or Facebook accounts and sell them. Sometimes, however, culprits involved in rapes or assaults take videos of the crime to blackmail them and also post them online,'' a dealer was quoted as saying.
The report also quoted a senior cops as saying that rapists invariably record the crime on their phones. It is then used as a blackmailing tool to either bully the victims-stopping them from going to the cops -or to pressure them into further sexual submission.
"A threat to post the rape online is very potent," he added.
Ironically, despite several raids by police, such horrifying rape videos are available in Belanganj, Balkeshwar, Kamla Nagar and a few other areas in Agra and in Meerut, Bareilly Aligarh etc.
