Suzette Jordan: Difference between revisions

| name = Suzette Jordan

| image = File:Suzette Jordan with her cat.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Suzette Jordan with her cat

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1974|10|21}}

| birth_place = Kolkata, India

| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|03|15|1974|10|21}}

| death_place = Kolkata, India

| nationality = Indian

| other_names =

| occupation = Women’s rights activist

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

On the evening of 6 February 2012, Jordan met 5five youth (Kader Khan, Md. Ali, Nasir Khan, Ruman Khan and Sumit Bajaj) for the first time at a nightclub in [[Park Street, Kolkata|Park Street]] who offered to drop her home, when she was leaving. Soon after, she was gang-raped by the five in a moving car, and later, dumped near Exide Crossing, opposite the [[Calcutta Club]]. Around 3.30 am, she boarded a taxi to her residence in [[Behala]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-park-street-rape-case-2154310|title=All you need to know about the Park Street rape case|date=10 December 2015|website= dnaindia.com|accessdate=10 September 2020}}</ref>

While the media and police initially ensured an information blackout of the victim's name, as is customary in [[Rape in India|India]], she later publicly revealed her identity as 37 -year -old and a mother of two, in order to encourage other survivors to speak out.<ref name="Suzette - BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-31865472|title=Suzette Jordan: India anti-rape campaigner dies after illness|journal=BBC News | date=13 March 2015|accessdate=13 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Suzette - NDTV">{{cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/park-street-rape-survivor-suzette-jordan-who-took-on-bengal-government-dies-746256|title=Park Street Rape Survivor Suzette Jordan, Who Took On Bengal Government, Dies|date=13 March 2015|agency=NDTV www.ndtv.com|accessdate=14 March 2015|publisher=ndtv.com}}</ref>

After revealing her identity, sheJordan said, "Why should I hide my identity when it was not even my fault? Why should I be ashamed of something that I did not give rise to? I was subjected to brutality, I was subjected to torture, and I was subjected to rape, and I am fighting and I will fight."<ref name="Suzette - NDTV" /><ref name="Suzette - BBC 1">{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-22999478 | title=Why an India rape victim disclosed her identity | journal=BBC News | date=21 June 2013 | accessdate=13 March 2015 | author=Jha, Rupa}}</ref> At the time of her death, three of the five men accused of raping Jordan inside a moving car had been arrested and were on trial, although they denied the charges. The remaining two, including the main suspect, had not been arrested.<ref name="Suzette - PTI">{{cite news|url=http://us.india.com/news/india/park-street-rape-victim-suzette-jordan-dies-in-kolkata-314829/|title=Park Street rape victim Suzette Jordan dies in Kolkata|date=13 March 2015|agency=Press Trust of India india.com|accessdate=14 March 2015|publisher=us.india.com}}</ref> The names of the accused are Mohommad Ali and Kader Khan (then the boyfriend Ofof [[Nusrat Jahan]]) who were absconding, and Nasir Khan, Ruman Khan (Ruman Khan alias Tussi) and Sumit Bajaj who were in custody.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Good-backgrounds-bad-company/articleshow/11955686.cms|title=Good backgrounds, bad company|last=Bandyopadhyay|first=Krishnendu|date=20 February 2012|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|publisher=The Times of India|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120221/jsp/calcutta/story_15159107.jsp#.VmmHQ7iGSko|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225070633/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120221/jsp/calcutta/story_15159107.jsp#.VmmHQ7iGSko|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 February 2012|title=Brothers Khan fight rape charge|date=21 February 2012|website=www.telegraphindia.com|publisher=Telegraph India|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref>

One of the prime accused was Kadir Khan, the then -boyfriend of Bengali television star [[Nusrat Jahan]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Park-Street-rape-case-Why-influential-Bengali-actress-Nusrat-Jahan-not-named-in-chargesheet/articleshow/54655060.cms|title=Park Street rape case: Why influential Bengali actress not named in chargesheet ?|accessdate=10 Sep 2020|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/573906/bengali-actor-rape-controversy.html|title=Bengali actor in rape controversy|accessdate=10 Sep 2020|website=deccanherald.com}}</ref> who later went on to become a [[Membermember of parliament, Lok Sabha| member of parliament]] from [[Basirhat]]. Khan was picked up by [[West Bengal Police]] from a hideout in [[Noida]] 5five years later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/kader-khan-prime-accused-in-park-street-gang-rape-case-arrested-after-nearly-five-years/story-u5Ws1ShdEplNFrQflx0bCP.html|title=Kader Khan, Prime accused in Park street gang rape case arrested after nearly five years|accessdate=10 Sep 2020|website=hindustantimes.com}}</ref> As of 2020, he remains in prison.{{fact|date=May 2021}}

The other accused, Naser Khan, Ruman Khan and Sumit Bajaj, were arrested in February 2012. On 10 December 2015, the city sessions court, [[Kolkata]] found all five of the accused guilty. The accused were convicted under 120 (B) (Criminalcriminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (Voluntarilyvoluntarily Causingcausing Hurthurt), 34 (Commoncommon intention), and 376(2)(g) (Ganggang Raperape). The three accused in custody (Naser, Ruman and Sumit) were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, months after the victim died of encephalitis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-park-street-rape-case-all-five-accused-found-guilty-three-convicted-by-kolkata-court-2154075|title=Park Street rape case: Three accused found guilty by Kolkata court|last=Mehta|first=Pooja|date=10 December 2015|website=www.dnaindia.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/qR8vrujadJxaNuicIoyQGN/Park-Street-rape-case-Kolkata-court-finds-three-accused-gui.html|title=Park Street rape case: Kolkata court finds three accused guilty|last=Sen|first=Shreeja|date=2015-12-10|website=www.livemint.com|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/12/10/park-street-rape-accused-guilty_n_8767376.html|title=Three Convicted In Kolkata Park Street Gangrape Case|last=Hebbar|first=Prajakta|date=10 December 2015|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/park-street-rape-case-three-convicts-found-guilty-115121000491_1.html|title=Park Street rape case: Three convicts found guilty|date=10 December 2015|website=business-standard.com|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref>

Four years after the incident, prime accused Kader Khan and Muhammad Ali were arrested on 30 September 2016 in Noida, brought back to Kolkata and produced before the court.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kolkata Park Street rape case: Main accused Kader Khan arrested from Delhi|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kolkata-park-street-rape-case-main-accused-arrested-delhi/1/776826.html|website=indiatoday.intoday.in|date=30 September 2016 |publisher=India Today|accessdate=30 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Park street gangrape: After four and a half years, prime accused Kader Khan nabbed|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kolkata/Park-street-gangrape-After-four-and-a-half-years-prime-accused-Kader-Khan-nabbed/2016/09/30/article3633456.ece|website=www.newindianexpress.com/|publisher=Indian Express|access-date=30 September 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930114340/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kolkata/Park-street-gangrape-After-four-and-a-half-years-prime-accused-Kader-Khan-nabbed/2016/09/30/article3633456.ece|archive-date=30 September 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In mid-June, 2020, Sumit Bajaj was released 20- months before his sentence ended, for 'good behaviour'.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/park-st-gang-rape-convict-released/articleshow/76539815.cms|title=Park Street gangrape convict released|accessdate=10 Sep 2020|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}</ref>

The case was widely debated in the media, with some political and social commentators casting aspersions on Jordan's character, and quickly became a political issue. [[File:Suzette Jordan with her cat.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Suzette Jordan with her cat]] When Jordan originally reported the crime, the [[Chiefchief Ministerminister]] of [[West Bengal]], [[Mamata Banerjee]], called her a liar and accused her of trying to embarrass the government, a position that provoked national outrage.<ref name="Suzette - PTI">{{cite news|url=http://us.india.com/news/india/park-street-rape-victim-suzette-jordan-dies-in-kolkata-314829/|title=Park Street rape victim Suzette Jordan dies in Kolkata|date=13 March 2015|agency=Press Trust of India india.com|accessdate=14 March 2015|publisher=us.india.com}}</ref>

[[Category:PeopleActivists from Kolkata]]