LUCKNOW: Imrana, the young housewife who was ordered by a village clerics’ panchayat to “marry” her father-in-law who had allegedly raped her, has finally decided to defy the panchayat’s diktat.

Imrana, who recorded her statement before the chief judicial magistrate in Muzaffarnagar on Monday, told reporters that she was ready to defy the community panchayat.

“I will continue to live with my husband despite the fact that the panchayat has declared that my marriage has been nullified after the rape. My husband supports me and I am ready to defy the panchayat,” she said during her first public appearance.

Imrana was allegedly raped by her father-in-law earlier this month and the community panchayat held at Charthawal village in Muzaffarnagar district ruled that Imrana would now have to live with her father-in-law as his “wife” and her husband would now treat her as his “mother”.

Her husband, Noor Mohammed, who had maintained a studied silence for almost three weeks now, also supported his wife’s decision. He admitted that he had gone into hiding due to social pressures, but added that now he was determined to stand by his wife’s side.

“Imrana key koi galti nahin hai, phir saza usko kyon mile? Mere walid ne jo kiya, woh gunaah hai aur unko iski saza milegi,” he said. Both Imrana and her husband said that they had full faith in the judicial system.—By arrangement with The Asian Age