Screening of "India's Sons: Tale of False Rape Case Survivors"

The film, India's Sons, is a documentary makes a case that false rape cases aren't just a threat to men who suffer false accusations but also women who actually suffer trauma of rape. The film aims to send a message to the society that while it’s working tirelessly to protect its daughters, it's time for it to wake up to plight of survivors of fake rape cases..India's Sons is a feature-length documentary film throwing light on lives that have been destroyed because of false accusations of rape. From an 18-year-old who spent 5 years in prison before being honourably acquitted, a young activist who saved animals but got falsely accused of ravishing a woman , an IPS officer who became a victim of a false accusation due to politics, a man who was one of the several men accused of rape on promise of marriage by the same woman to a man who got falsely accused of gangrape twice by the same woman.The film exposes deep flaws in the system, absolute disregard of rights of one gender in order to protect the other, unbelievable lies that are told with elan in courts and hopelessness that looms over people who are falsely accused. It is a first person account of men and families who bore the brunt of being called a rapist and a rapist’s family, only to be eventually honourably acquitted of the said crime after years of trial on basis of credible evidence proving beyond doubt that they were falsely accused..Since the infamous "Nirbhaya" gang-rape case that happened in the heart of Delhi, India has been under the world's eye for rising numbers of crimes against women. The horrific case led to various amendments in India's rape laws, making laws stricter and punishments more severe than ever before.The burden of proof practically shifted on the accused and testimony of the woman alone became sufficient for conviction. While the laws were strengthened to address the menace of sexual assault posing threat to lives of innocent women and girls, a new problem began spreading fast in the country posing threat to lives of innocent men and boys - that of false rape accusations..In July 2013, while acquitting a 75-year-old of rape charges, Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat of a Delhi Court said "Mere statement of a lady that she has been raped, is now taken as gospel truth, the accused arrested and chargesheeted. This has led to an unprecedented surge in filing of false rape cases...It is these false cases which play havoc with the crime statistics, leading to the labelling of Delhi as a “rape capital.”In 2016, Justice Nivedita Anil Sharma said, "It is time now to have laws to protect and restore the dignity of men charged with false rape cases as everyone is just fighting to protect the honour of women. While laws are being made for protection of women, some of whom may misuse them, nobody talks about the dignity and honour of a man. " The judge in another case also questioned that if rape victims are now often called rape survivors, should men false accused of rape who are honorably acquitted be called "rape case survivors".There are many more such observations and judgments coming from each and every corner of the country. Rape, one of the most heinous crimes, has its seriousness at stake with frivolous claims being made everywhere and laws made to prevent it being abused for vengeance, extortion and to settle scores. What seems to be a rarity is a concern voiced even by apex courts of the country..The film was produced by Shonee Kapoor, directed by Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj & Neeraj Kumar and is presented by Sahodar Trust & True Filter Films.The film will be screened at the Siri Fort Auditorium on December 11 at 4:45 PM. The audience will include dignitaries like Members of Parliament, Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court, victims who have shared their stories in the film and the general public..The cast & crew of the film will be available for interaction post the screening..Register here.Watch the trailer here.