The idea had been to punish Pintu through the gang rape of his wife, the premise being that the ‘honour’ of the family lies in the vaginas of its women. That ‘honour’ is seen as inseparable from the chastity of women holds true even when she exercises sexual agency. From a patriarchal perspective, rape is a crime against the ‘owner’ of the woman—with her ‘honour’ sullied, her ‘virginity’* robbed, the goods spoilt. It is a familial and societal shame.
