The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has banned the “Surupnakha Dahan,” a controversial Dussehra event in which effigies of 11 women accused in criminal cases were to be burned instead of Ravana. The court, in its order issued on Saturday, stated that such an event is against the Constitution and democratic values and must be stopped immediately.
The event was being organized by a men’s rights organization called “Paurush,” which raises the voice of men who are allegedly harassed by their wives. The organization had claimed that an 11-faced effigy, each representing a woman accused in various criminal cases such as murder, fraud, and drug trafficking would be burned on Dussehra.
The list included names like Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband, and Muskan, accused in the “Blue Drum Murder Case.”
Petition and Court Comments
The controversy escalated further when Sonam’s mother, Sangeeta Raghuvanshi, filed a petition in the High Court on September 25th. She stated that the case against her daughter was still pending in court and she had not been convicted. Burning her effigy constituted defamation and mental torture.
The court issued a strong comment, stating: “Just because someone is facing a trial does not mean that their image should be publicly tarnished. This is against the Constitution and the law.” The court also clarified that such symbolic punishments are unacceptable in a democratic society.
Protests and Reactions
The Raghuvanshi community openly opposed the event. Sonam’s brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, submitted a memorandum to the Indore Collector, demanding that the event be stopped. While initially sympathizing with the family of Raja Raghuvanshi (her deceased husband), he has now taken a stand in support of his sister and begun efforts to secure bail.
Organizers’ clarification
Ashok Dashora, president of the Purush organization, stated that the event was not intended to insult any woman, but rather to show that “evil is not limited to men.”
He said: “If Ravana was a symbol of evil, then some women today also represent the same kind of evil.”
However, after the court order, he said: “We respect the judiciary. Now that the ban has been imposed, the effigy will not be burned.”
Future plans
The organization is considering appealing the single-judge decision. The 11 women involved in the event face various serious charges across the country, such as: Nikita Singhania and Sushmita – fraud and cybercrime, Shashi (Firozabad) – child trafficking, Hansa (Dewas) – liquor smuggling.
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