On August 13, 2004, in a Nagpur courtroom, around 200 women from Kasturba Nagar slum stormed in and lynched notorious gangster Akku Yadav. Armed with knives, chilli powder, and stones, they stabbed him over 70 times and mutilated his body in 15 minutes after he terrorized the community for years with rapes, gang rapes, murders, and extortion—despite dozens of complaints, he was repeatedly bailed out amid alleged police complicity.
Many women in Kasturba Nagar had endured Yadav’s reign of terror in silence, fearing retaliation, while police reportedly favored him. The act drew international attention, with supporters viewing it as desperate self-defense against a predator who evaded punishment. Police arrested several, charging 21 with murder, but all were acquitted in 2014 due to lack of evidence and consistent witness testimony. This case shocked the world, highlighting the denial of justice and the extremes of vigilante justice.
