Indian official resigns after outrage over her selfie with a rape survivor

An Indian official resigned after facing public outrage for taking a selfie with a rape survivor in the western state of Rajasthan. The selfie, taken on June 29, went viral on social media, provoking widespread criticism for its insensitivity. 

The official Somya Gurjar is a member of the Rajasthan State Commission for Women, a body that advises the government on policies pertaining to women. The selfie was taken in a police station, where Gurjar along with her colleague Suman Sharma met the survivor. The 30-year-old had filed a complaint against her husband and his family members for gang-raping and tattooing expletives on her body for not meeting their dowry demands. 

"I have not done anything wrong but tendered my resignation on moral grounds if my action has hurt anybody's feelings," Gurjar told reporters. She had earlier said that she was showing the survivor photographs on her mobile phone to make her feel more relaxed. In another report, she said that the selfie wasn't taken for "entertainment", but after the survivor requested her for a picture on her mobile phone. 

Indian law prohibits media organisations and individuals from making public the name, identity or photographs of rape survivors, unless they have the written consent. A violation of the law can lead to up two years of imprisonment and a fine. 

The incident has added to a growing debate on the trivialisation of rape, and comes shortly after Bollywood actor Salman Khan compared himself to feeling like a "raped woman" after shooting action sequences for his film Sultan. Despite widespread criticism, Khan is yet to apologise for the remark.

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