Bhopal:

Two horrific incidents of rape have been reported from Madhya Pradesh – one from Indore and another from Rewa – even as outrage continues over the August rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and the rape of two minors in Maharashtra’s Badlapur.

In the Rewa case, a couple at a picnic spot near a temple was attacked.

The husband was tied to a tree and his wife was gang-raped. Her rapists filmed the assault and threatened to release the video online if the couple filed a police complaint. This was on October 21.

The police filed a case the following day and some suspects have been arrested.

Indore Rape Case

Meanwhile, in Indore a neurodivergent woman was sexually assaulted by a daily wage worker.

CCTV footage showed the woman wandering, half-naked and bleeding, in the city’s Sadar Bazaar area around 3.45 am Tuesday. The cops, acting with more haste in this case, reviewed the footage and found she had been accosted, hours earlier, by the worker, now identified as Sonu.

The footage showed Sonu leading the woman to a waste treatment facility less than an hour before she was found. The police later said Sonu had confessed to the rape.

Congress Attacks BJP Over Double Rapes

After the Indore rape the state’s Congress chief, Jitu Patwari, hit out at the ruling BJP on X.

“The daughter is naked on the road (while) the Chief Minister is busy at an event,” he said, taking a swipe over the Ladli Behna Yojna, a women’s welfare initiative launched by Mr Yadav’s predecessor, Shivraj Chouhan, and which was credited with helping the BJP win last year’s Assembly election.

Mr Patwari also compared the condition in which the Indore woman was found to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, asking, “Can’t the Chief Minister who considers himself ‘God’ see the disrobing of Draupadi?” “I am angry and worried at the plight of our daughters. Crimes against our daughters are not stopping but the Chief Minister is sitting with his eyes closed.”

Responding for the state government, junior Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel pointed out that the accused – in the Indore case – had been arrested and emphasised the BJP’s commitment to handling such matters sensitively. “The law will teach the accused a lesson… they will not be spared.”

Mr Patel also said the BJP government prioritises the welfare of neurodivergent individuals, with the Social Justice and Welfare Department involved in supporting them. “Regardless of the city, the department is carrying out responsibilities diligently,” he claimed.

2023 Ujjain Rape Case

The Rewa and Indore sexual assault cases have brought the spotlight back on Madhya Pradesh after a horrifying incident from Ujjain in September last year. A minor girl was raped and left bleeding on the streets, and went from door to door asking for help, only to be turned away by heartless citizens.

READ | Man Arrested For Teen’s Rape Near Ujjain, Tried To Escape From Custody

For two hours, she was ignored by more than 500 homes and restaurants, as well as officials at a toll booth, till a temple priest spotted and rushed her to a hospital, and called the police.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Bhopal:

The house of the man accused of raping a teenage girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain will be demolished tomorrow, as it was allegedly built illegally.

Videos of a 15-year-old girl, semi-naked and bleeding, going door-to-door for help, sparked outrage across the country last week. 

The accused, Bharat Soni, an auto-rickshaw driver, was arrested in the case on Thursday. Bharat is currently in jail awaiting trial. His family has been living in the house on government land for years, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation said.

Municipal Commissioner Roshan Singh said that the land belongs to the government and therefore no notice is needed for its demolition. The municipal body will take action tomorrow in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh police. Bharat was caught after a long investigation that involved reviewing footage from nearly 700 CCTV cameras.

“30-35 people were involved in the investigation. No one slept for three or four days,” Ajay Verma, a senior police officer, told NDTV.

‘Shockwaves’

On September 26, videos went viral on social media showing a minor girl, haggard, bleeding, and begging for help. A CCTV camera on Badnagar Road, about 15 km from Ujjain, captured the girl, draped in rags, going door-to-door, seeking assistance. The chilling footage, that sent shockwaves across the country, showed people shooing the girl away, as she approached them one after the other. 

READ |In Ujjain Rape Case, Those Who Didn’t Help Teen May Face Charges: Police

The minor girl, exhausted and traumatised with her body barely covered by a tattered cloth, aimlessly wandered the streets. Word of her agony reached an ashram not far from her location. A priest there, sensing that she had been sexually assaulted, draped her in a towel and rushed her to the nearby hospital. The medical examination confirmed her fears: she had been raped.

The girl’s injuries were severe, so she was rushed to Indore for specialised medical care. Police officers volunteered to donate blood when she needed it.

The accused, Bharat, was arrested three days later. The accused attempted to flee while reenacting the crime scene to collect evidence, including torn clothing but was swiftly caught. 

“We reached the spot to recover the clothes worn by the girl. Sensing an opportunity, Bharat Soni tried to escape. Police personnel chased and caught him. During this, he fell on a cemented road, injuring his arms and legs,” the police said.

‘Should Be Hanged’

Bharat’s father has called for the death penalty for his son, while the local bar association has urged its members to refuse to represent him in court.

“It is a shameful act. Neither have I gone to hospital to meet him, no will I go to the police station or courts. My son has committed a crime, therefore he should be hanged,” his father said.

Repercussions

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is gearing up for assembly elections in the state scheduled in November this year, vowed to prosecute the accused to the fullest extent of the law.

“The victim is the daughter of Madhya Pradesh. We will take care of her in every way. She is my daughter, as well as the state’s daughter and we will ensure that the accused gets stringent punishment,” he declared.

READ | “She Could’ve Been My Child”: Ujjain Rape Accused’s Father Seeks Death Penalty

The horrific incident has provided additional fodder to opposition parties to question the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government which is under pressure for its dismal record on violence against women.

According to National Crime Records Bureau data, Madhya Pradesh, with 6,462 cases, reported the most number of rape incidents in the country in 2021. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have reported the highest number of cases of disappearance of women and girls between 2019 and 2021. Of all the reported rape cases, 50 per cent were crimes against minors, NCRB data states.