A member of the Rajasthan Women's Commission who took a smiling selfie with a rape victim has had to quit her job after it outraged many and attracted the wrath of the state's chief minister.
Saumya Gujjar and the chairman of the commission, Suman Sharma, were visiting the rape victim at a women's police station in Jaipur when Gujjar clicked selfies with the woman, who was allegedly gang-raped by her husband and his brothers and tattooed with expletives, apparently because she had not brought enough dowry.
The iPad picture shows Saumya Gujjar and Suman Sharma smiling into the camera while the rape victim's face is blurred.
Two of the selfies went viral and kicked up a social media storm, and chief minister Vasundhara Raje came down heavily on Saumya Gujjar, following which she resigned.
However, the commission member said it was the 28-year-old rape victim who asked to take a picture. "I can't understand why this has been made into an issue," NDTV quoted Saumya Gujjar as saying.
She said that all she intended to do was to take pictures for her own record.
"The woman was curious about the camera and asked me to take her photo too," Saumya Gujjar said. "I only took the photo to put her at ease and because she asked for it. I was trying to be humane with her."
However, her boss Suman Sharma distanced herself from the action of her fellow panel member, although she is in the picture and seems to be aware of its taking.
"I was talking to the victim when the member of the commission (Saumya Gujjar) clicked these selfies. I was not aware of when she clicked the photograph. I do not favour such acts and have sought a written explanation from her. She has been asked to submit an explanation by tomorrow," Suman Sharma said.
National Commission for Women has summoned them after reprimanding for a "very insensitive" act.
A doctorate in yoga, Saumya Gujjar was appointed to the commission by the Rajasthan government.