India that is ranked as the world's fourth most dangerous country for women, explained that horrendous crimes such as domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, incest, acid attacks and dowry death are "just the tip of the iceberg".

Lawyer Ms Bulbul Das, who runs a state subsidised 24-hour crisis hotline for women in Delhi says it is accepted in society that a man has the right and the woman deserves what she gets! Also women face a lack of access to finance, land, inheritance rights, education, employment, justice, health care and nutrition. India has over 3 million prostitutes of which 40 percent are children under the age of 18.

According to Neerja Ahlawat a professor of sociology, socio-economic factors will continue to dominate the mistreatment of women. She said, many Indians value a buffalo more than a woman.

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Aarti who married Nitish Tyagi a Meerut businessman, confessed to him that she loved another man whom she had secretly married, and pleaded with him to treat her like a sister. The husband Nitish agreed.

The woman has now sought police protection against threats from her father Anil Tyagi, a Uttarakhand sub-inspector, who is opposed to her love affair.

Aarti said she was forced into the wedding after her older sister who was originally to marry Nitish, eloped with her lover.

Police are investigating the case.

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The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government and police to file a status report on the investigation into the murder of MiD-DAY journalist J.Dey. The Court is also directing the State to ensure that Advocate General Ravi Kadam argues the matter himself.

The Court also allowed applications filed by the Press Club, Mumbai, and the Marathi Patrakar Parishad, to invervene in the matter as they too pleaded for a CBI probe into the murder of Dey who was shot dead by four assailants in Powai. They believe the reason for the murder was that Dey was reporting on an alleged nexus between the underworld and Mumbai Police as well as various scams and rackets.

Both petitioners intend to demand more security for working journalists and to move the probe from city police to the CBI.

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Sanjay Kulmethe, a petty thief and father of two, admitted to around 60 cases of petty theft since 2005. Most of the cases were unreported as valuables were untouched.

Kulmethe a tribal villager, said he was afraid of the power of the sindoor and stayed away from jewellery because he believes a married woman's curse would in turn bring a curse upon his family.

Kulmethe, an alcoholic, who moved to Nagpur and worked as a tourist bus conductor, doubled up as a thief. He was caught however, when he stole a small piece of men's jewellery, then tried to sell it.

The jeweller realised its value and informed the police.

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Ritu 17, the daughter of farmer Rameshwar Singh from Haryana, was forced to discontinue her education, because her family were suspicious that she may have been in a love affair with someone.

According to a neighbour who informed police, he heard screams and saw the girl being beaten mercilessly for over an hour, in the open courtyard of their house. The women of the family were present in the house when the incident took place. The men then cremated the girl at a nearby cremation ground.

Acting on the neighbour's statement, police booked Rameshwar, his two sons and an uncle for the macabre tragedy.

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