August 4, 2025
By Shaukat Korai
KARACHI
Civil society, in solidarity with the family of Shanti Maheshwari, a 20 year old victim of marital rape so brutal that it killed her – gathered outside the Anklesaria Hospital in Karachi on Sunday, to protest against the hospital’s doctor who they said was responsible for neglecting her condition.
Shanti, a resident of Lyari, was a newlywed woman who was married to one Ashok Mohan, but within three days of her marriage she was raped so mercilessly by her husband, that her she began bleeding internally. She was brought to the Anklesaria Hospital by her family, where she underwent an operation but her bleeding did not stop, due to which she went into a coma.
Shanti’s family said they held first her husband Ashok responsible for her death, followed by the doctor. The protesters demanded justice for Shanti.
Several civil society activists and organizations including the Minority March group as well as Aurat March Karachi, supported Shanti’s family and participated in the protest, demanding that serious action be taken against the doctor and others responsible for Shanti’s death. They held placards with various slogans, including ‘Reject forced marriage!’, ‘A woman is not a body, she is a human being’ and ‘Shanti’s death is a crime’.
Meanwhile, the police have already arrested Shanti’s husband Ashok Mohan, but no action has been taken against the doctor yet. Shanti’s aunt Sonia told Voicepk that her niece had lost her life due to the unprofessional behavior of the doctor.
“I was with her from the beginning,” she said. “Shanti was bleeding, but the doctors discharged her from the hospital a few days later. After that, they took Shanti home. Then she was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Karachi. But by then she had already gone into a coma, and she never gained consciousness.”
Sonia says that she had been the one who had arranged Shanti’s marriage with Ashok. She got engaged two years ago but two days after the wedding, she was tortured badly by her husband. Tearfully she says that she cannot believe that Shanti who was like a daughter for her, has been taken away from her.
Sonia said that Shanti when Shanti was operated on, but her bleeding did not stop. Even her oesophagus was cut during the operation and they drained her stomach.
Shanti’s pain was waived aside
Shanti had also complained that other family members in her in-laws had also been abusive towards her.
Renowned performing artist and activist, Sheema Kirmani also participated in the protest and said that the doctor, the husband and Shanti’s relatives were all responsible for Shanti’s death. These were the issues which caused great insecurity to women.
“If she had received proper treatment, she would have been alive, but today Shanti is not among us,” she said.
Others said that because Shanti belonged to a poor family, her cries went unheard because of that. They complained that the country’s mainstream media and the institutions, continue to be silent and ignore atrocities committed against the most affected communities especially women.
Najma Maheshwari, an activist, also demanded action by the healthcare commission to be taken against the doctor who performed the operation and neglected her treatment, which led to her death.