Roop Kanwar sati case: eight accused acquitted by Jaipur court

A special court in Jaipur on 9 October acquitted eight individuals accused of glorifying the death of Roop Kanwar, the last documented case of sati (a Hindu widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre) in India, citing benefit of doubt.

The eight accused were alleged to have organised an event commemorating the first anniversary of Roop Kanwar’s act of sati, celebrating her death. These individuals — Mahendra Singh, Shrawan Singh, Nihal Singh, Jitendra Singh, Uday Singh, Dasrath Singh, Laxman Singh and Bhanwar Singh — were acquitted by Sati Niwaran court special judge Akshi Kansal. All eight had been released on bail.

The court stated in its order that the police had arrested all the accused under section 5 of the Sati Prevention Act, which prohibits the glorification of the sati tradition. However, the court noted that to substantiate the allegations under this section, it was essential to prove that an incident of sati had occurred. The police failed to specify any particular incident of sati. Furthermore, the officers who registered the case and the witnesses who testified did not identify the accused.

The case was registered on 22 September 1988 at the then Thoi police station in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. According to the police, a procession was held from Satsang Bhavan in Deorala village to the Sitaram Ji temple, during which participants chanted slogans in praise of ‘Sati mata’. They also displayed a photo of ‘Sati mata’ on a truck and were glorifying the practice of sati, despite the ban on the tradition.

Days after the sati incident, on 16 September 1987, the Rajput community had organised an event called 'Chunri Mahotsav' on the occasion of the thirteenth day of mourning for alleged victim Roop Kanwar. Lakhs of people had gathered at Deorala village for this festival despite the high court ban. But the matter was not pressed in court and hence did not proceed further.

They were all acquitted by a Sikar court in October 1996 owing to insufficient evidence.

What was the Roop Kanwar sati case?

At the age of 18, Roop Kanwar married Maal Singh from Deorala in Sikar in January 1987. Tragically, Singh died of illness in a Sikar hospital just eight months later. On 4 September 1987, Roop Kanwar is said to have sat on her husband’s funeral pyre and committed sati.

In 1988, around the first anniversary of her death, 45 people allegedly organised an event glorifying her act, which violated section 5 (punishment for glorification of sati) of the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act 1987, enacted after Roop Kanwar’s death. The punishment for violating this section includes imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 30,000. Reports indicate that of the 45 accused, 25 were acquitted in 2004 owing to lack of evidence.

According to villagers from Deorala, after her husband’s death, Roop Kanwar recited the Gayatri mantra, adorned herself in solah shringaar (16 adornments), and thousands from Deorala and neighbouring villages participated in her shobha yatra (ceremonial procession) throughout the village before she committed sati.

The case sparked public outrage and is cited as one of the reasons for the ousting of then Rajasthan chief minister Hari Dev Joshi of the Congress. Deorala also holds a significant place in Rajput society, with some residents adding the village name to their own.