LITERARY REVIEW
The Rage of A Woman
The landmark trial that changed the way we see gender-based violence
In 1979, 24-year-old Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a native of Punjab, went to the United Kingdom to marry a man she had met only once named Deepak. They were married for a decade and she conceived two boys. One evening in 1989, while her husband was sleeping, Ahluwalia poured a mixture of petrol and caustic soda over the bed and set it alight. She specifically targeted Deepak’s feet, and as he screamed from being burnt alive, Ahluwalia ran into a garden with her three-year-old son.
Deepak suffered severe burns over 40% of his body and died 10 days later in hospital from sepsis. Ahluwalia was arrested for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison.
During the trial, Ahluwalia revealed that for the entire duration of her marriage, Deepak was violent and had repeatedly abused her. She suffered marital rape, was deprived of food, and severely beaten in front of her children. She tried seeking help from her family but was turned away on the basis of “family honor.” She tried running away but was found by Deepak, brought home and unforgivingly punished.
Describing her act on that fateful night, Deepak had threatened her life with an iron rod. She had had enough. She said…
