This Woman Was Forced To Immerse Her Hands Into Boiling Oil To Prove She Wasn’t Having An Affair
After writing hundreds of articles on women’s issues, I have learned that people find it extremely easy to blame us for everything. It’s no wonder that our gender is in this pitiful and vulnerable state. From branding us as witches because someone in the neighbourhood fell sick to beating and thrashing us for not bringing enough dowry, there is no upside to being a woman in today’s world. Yes, I am being cynical because it’s exasperating to have a positive outlook when women are being forced to immerse their hands in boiling oil after being accused of infidelity. This isn’t a hypothetical example, it happened very recently in Gujarat. Our society is rigidly holding on to an archaic mentality that is doing so much more damage than good.
This heartwrenching incident took place on Tuesday in Nimaknagar village of Surendranagar district’s Dhrangadhra taluka. A woman, Geeta Vinchhiya, was urged to dip her hands in boiling oil to prove her innocence. She was accused by her neighbour, Dhiru Bhimani, of having an extra-marital affair. Geeta had no choice but to comply. Since this happened in public, she had to clear her name. Obviously, she suffered severe burns but has refused to file an official complaint.
The police officer in charge said, “Bhimani alleged that a man visits Vinchhiya regularly after her husband left home early morning for work. The woman rejected the accusation. To prove who was innocent, the man suggested that both of them dip their hands in hot oil… and they suffered burns.”
A video of this disturbing incident went viral on social media. This prompted the police to take both, Geeta and Dhiru, into preventive custody. They told them that this kind of behaviour was not tolerable but Geeta declined to press charges against Dhiru.
Also Read: Woman Stripped Naked And Paraded For Eloping With Another Man. This Is Disgusting
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She told The Indian Express, “For the past two months, Bhimani had been spreading rumours that I had an affair with a man. He was claiming he had seen a man entering my home after my husband would leave for work at 4 am. He said he was ready for a test by the fire to prove his claim. His five family members supported him. I had to dip my hands in boiling oil to prevent people from talking behind the back of my husband.”
Geeta further added, “We have been married for 27 years but I have not been able to conceive… Therefore, people are spreading rumours. I resisted filing a police complaint as the Bhimanis are our neighbours and outnumber us. I fear for the safety of my husband.”
Reportedly, in some pockets of Saurashtra dipping ones hands in boiling oil is a common practice. It’s used when someone needs to prove their innocence. But just because it’s prevalent doesn’t make it any less sadistic. Also, how does it prove anything? It’s practices like these that desperately need to be abolished. Countless women like Geeta suffer every day because our society refuses to move forward with time.
