'Aunt with a gun' disperses justice for women in rural India

Assaults against women have stopped in her native village.

My gun is now my second husband, Ms. Shahana Begum told reporters. This Indian woman has taken on rapists in her native village, forcing many to marry their victims and others to confess to police.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Shahana Begum, 42, patrols her village with a shotgun. When she learns of a sexual assault victim, she doesn't wait for the police in her village of Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, to act. She handles the case shotgun style.

Her fellow villagers don't know her by her proper name. To them she is, "Bandookwali Chachi," or the Aunt With a Gun.

Begum lost her husband 17 years ago and after that she began to fear she could be assaulted. To protect herself she obtained a shotgun, which she now carries at all times. "My gun is now my second husband."

Begum now takes action whenever women are in danger or have been assaulted. In many cases she is able to force the rapist to marry their victim. Many women come to her instead of the police because the police may not investigate or do anything about the crime. However, Begum will force the attacker to marry, which is considered the just outcome in their society.

Without justice, many young women may commit suicide following a sexual assault.

Her threat has cut down on the number of sex assaults so that such attacks are virtually unheard of in her village.

Begum says she has not had to shoot anybody yet, but that she is prepared to do so. "I know that if I have to shoot someone it's because they've done something dreadful to a woman."

She now travels to other neighboring villages and helps neighbors resolve disputes. She is thought by many to be better than the police. She is direct and no-nonsense, which many people prefer.

"I will fight for the protection of women until my last breath."

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