NEW DELHI: Violence against women in India continues to rise and make international headlines. As the country still reels from a number of gang rapes and murders in the country, a new case has again put women's rights and safety at the forefront of the national conversation after a 55-year-old woman was murdered by her in-laws after they believed she was a “witch.” “This is just the tip of things. Look at the newspapers everyday and we see all sorts of violence and murders of women in India,” said women's rights researcher Geeta Rasfani, who told Bikyanews.com that “it is difficult to research sexual violence in India because it is so angering.” Makkal Osai reported that Veeta Devi was sleeping at home in Jaipur on Friday night when her brother-in-law and his family members barged in and dragged her out of the house. They started calling her a witch, accusing her of casting evil spirits on other family members and villagers. They beat her with sticks and iron rods until she died. When her husband came to her rescue, they held him captive and then ran away. Rajasthan police said such cases were not uncommon, especially in the rural areas. They have vowed to do more to crackdown on such violence. BN
