Chennai:
A bright duplex house in Chennai witnessed its darkest moment on May 17. A teenage girl killed her 58-year-old father when he allegedly tried to rape her.
The victim tried to resist her father, Ratnamani, who is a habitual drunkard. When he got out of control, she stabbed him 4 times over to death.
"They came here some days ago as tenants. We were shocked to know in the morning that there was a murder in the house," said Palani, a neighbour.
The police say they will have to go by the book. So, the 19-year-old victim of sexual assault is now in jail and is likely to be charged with murder. Activists say, laws meant to protect an act of crime committed in self defence - like Section 96 of the IPC in this case - should play its role even before the trial begins.
"If the young woman defended herself against her father who tried to rape her, then she should not have been arrested in the first place according to me," said Vidya Reddy, a women rights activist.
The victim's mother passed away seven years ago. She is survived by her elder brother, a BPO employee, who is exploring options to get his sister out on bail. But to first prove that it should not be a charge of murder and to then prove that the act of crime was committed in self-defence is a long and insensitive process of trial.