Video clips of women getting raped are being sold in UP and it's a booming business.

They are known as WhatsApp sex videos or local films. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

Rekha* was returning from school on a Wednesday afternoon, when she was abducted and gang raped by four men in Chapar village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. If the crime was not brutal enough, the men recorded the entire incident on their mobile phones. Rekha pleaded with them to delete the clip in exchange of keeping mum. But, they did not relent. A few months later, Rekha's cousin came up to her and showed her a WhatsApp forward. It was the video of her rape. She was shocked. It was then Rekha decided to tell her parents about the incident, who later approached the police for help. However, what they found out was even more disturbing. Rekha's video had been sold to many men in the name of rape porn. Shockingly, hers was not alone. The police discovered that a local mobile recharge shop owner was selling the videos to eager customers for Rs 500.

Rape Porn Is a Booming Business in Uttar Pradesh

Unfortunately, rape videos or local films as they are called, are selling like hot cakes in UP and other parts of India. According to a report published in the Deccan Chronicle, the business is flourishing right under the nose of the Naka Hindola police station which is barely 500 metres away from these shops. Sources claim the cops receive a hefty amount on a monthly basis for allowing the business to continue.

Unfortunately, rape videos or local films as they are called, are selling like hot cakes in UP. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

"The days of pirated films are over. Nowadays rape videos are in demand. Filming a rape has become popular. The duration is anything between 10 minutes and 30 minutes and the video is sold for anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 500, depending on how explicit it is," says Rakesh* who runs the business of selling local films, in an interview to Deccan Chronicle.

"Rape videos are made available to public by various agents. Our men buy these videos for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 and we clean the clips before putting them out in the market. Clean up means blurring of rapist's face but not the victims. Those with an audio track (read screams) are more expensive," he continues.

Shooting Videos During Rape Is Not Just For Blackmail

If living with the stigma of rape is not arduous enough, the disgusting trend of digitally documenting the horrific crime is making the lives of victims miserable. Not to mention, fuelling a whole new market of rape porn. As appalling as it sounds, this disgusting industry is making big bucks on the expense of the dignity and the lives of rape victims. Because as the name suggests, rape porn is shot while the crime is taking place. It's not fiction or make-believe. It's the truth in its ugliest form.

But, who derives pleasure from watching women in agony, you might wonder. Well, lots of men. And that is why rape porn is such a hit among the Indian masses. Priced between Rs 300 to Rs 500, these WhatsApp sex videos are available for purchase all across the country.

As appalling as it sounds, this disgusting industry is making big bucks. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

This brings us to a very important question…

Why do men want to see a woman getting brutalized to attain sexual gratification?

The answer lies in the suppression of sexuality as far as the Indian society is concerned, which leads to curiosity. In an interview to Hindustan Times, Dr Sameer Malhotra, head of mental health and behavioural sciences, Max Healthcare said, "Sexuality is often a non-discussed topic and that leads to curiosity. Many a times, people can actually be suffering from paraphilia, a condition characterised by abnormal sexual desires".

And that's not the only reason why rape porn thrives. It's a rage because some men in India have internalized the right to suppress women and see them as mere sexual objects.

"Indulging in rape pornography has a lot to do with culture. In a largely male-dominated and patriarchal society like India, society suppresses women. So, when they see torture being inflicted on a woman in such videos, their perverted tendencies tend to rise to the surface and they derive sexual pleasure out of it," told Gurgoan-based counsellor Vipula Gupta to indiatimes.com.

Indulging in rape pornography has a lot to do with culture. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

With the market of rape porn already milking huge profits, we can't ignore the fact that it poses yet another threat to women safety. One that needs to be curtailed immediately.

(* Names have been changed to protect identity)