'People are now throwing light on the deplorable frequency of rape, with incidences that tend to focus on the urban educated, or on crimes linked to celebrities, like the case of Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja. Yet, the rural poor often get neglected as they are fearful of the consequences of reporting cases of rape and domestic violence,' Ranjana Kumari said.

Suggesting reforms, she said that a fast track judicial system for the rape victims and a stringent punishment for the accused is the need of the hour.

'The rape victim should be adequately rehabilitated and the government must also ensure a generous monetary compensation to help her in recovering from a disturbed state of mind,' she added.