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Outrage Over Indian Official Ranjit Sinha's 'Rape' Remarks
BBC NEWS, INDIA
November 13, 2013: Women's groups in India have expressed outrage over remarks on rape made by the chief of the country's top investigation agency. Ranjit Sinha of the Central Bureau of Investigation made the comments while speaking on illegal sports betting. "If you cannot enforce the ban on betting, it is like saying 'if you can't prevent rape, you enjoy it'," he said. Mr Sinha later said his comments had been misinterpreted.
The issue of sexual violence against women in India has been under intense scrutiny since the gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus in December led to widespread protests.
Speaking at a meeting on sports ethics on Tuesday, Mr Sinha wondered whether India had enforcement agencies that could check betting in sports, which is illegal in the country. He then appeared to make a case for legalizing betting in sports saying, "It is better to have something, legalize it, and earn some revenue rather than throwing up your hands and letting things happen."
Women leaders like Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said Mr Sinha's remarks were "shocking".
'Malicious propaganda'
"It is sickening that a man, who is in charge of several rape investigations, should use such an analogy. He should be prosecuted for degrading and insulting women," Ms Karat told The Hindu newspaper.
Ranjana Kumari of the Delhi-based Centre for Social Research told The Hindustan Times newspaper that "such a senior police officer... should not have passed such a remark". "It is not acceptable and he should apologize for it. It has become a habit of people in senior positions to treat the issue of sexual assault lightly."
Activist Kavita Krishnan told the BBC Hindi that if the head of India's main investigating agency "doesn't understand the difference between rape and enjoyment, then he should step down from his position".
Mr Sinha told The Hindustan Times newspaper that he was "just making a point, that it is very difficult to enforce a ban on betting, that you can make a law but there are already so many and it is difficult to enforce. "Lotteries are already legal. So I said betting could be legalized, it can be taxed. To make this point, I just used a proverb.
"It's malicious propaganda, it's hitting below the belt, and it's unfair," he added.
