Bhopal:

In an escape so ridiculous it could be a deleted scene from The Hangover, a robbery suspect managed to ditch jail guards during a doctor’s visit as they were busy getting massages at a spa centre in Madhya Pradesh. 

A robbery was reported on December 25 in Madhya Pradesh’s Nagda town in Ujjain district. Five armed robbers breached the premises of Shiva Baba Liquor Company holding employees at gunpoint and fleeing with Rs 18 lakh in cash.

Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Rohit Sharma, identified as the prime accused. Sharma was taken into custody and lodged in Khachrod Sub-Jail on January 5. However, his detention took an unexpected turn when he was granted medical attention due to a reported leg injury.

On Tuesday at 11 AM, jail guards Rajesh Srivastava and Nitin Dalodiya escorted Sharma to Khachrod Government Hospital for treatment. Standard protocol dictates that an accused should be returned to jail immediately after medical attention. However, by 6 PM, Sharma had not returned, prompting concerns and an internal inquiry.

Authorities soon discovered inconsistencies in the accounts provided by the two jail guards. This led to an urgent review of hospital CCTV footage. The recordings revealed that Sharma had walked out of the hospital between 12 PM and 12:30 PM – hours before his absence was officially noticed.

Further investigation uncovered an even more bizarre detail. Instead of escorting Sharma back to jail, the two guards allegedly took him nearly 30 kilometres away to a spa in Ratlam. While Sharma vanished, the guards reportedly indulged in a massage session at the facility. 

CCTV footage from the spa centre suggests Sharma too got a massage. One of the videos shows the suspect hurriedly leaving one of the massage rooms while in the process of putting on a t-shirt before escaping through a door. 

Following a formal complaint by Khachrod Jail Superintendent Surendra Singh Ranawat, police registered a case against both jail guards and Rohit Sharma under Sections 262 and 264 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

According to Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma, both the jail guards have been suspended. An FIR has been registered against them for aiding in the escape. 

With Sharma still missing, multiple police teams have been deployed to track him down.

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.

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Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh:

Two people, including a disc jockey, were arrested for allegedly assaulting a tehsildar in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain after he asked them not to use amplifiers, popularly called “DJ”, at a religious event, an official has said.

Ujjain is the home turf of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, whose first order after taking up the top post in December last year, incidentally, was to ban the use of amplifiers at religious events and places.

“DJ Dheeraj Singh Sondia and Vinod Singh hit Tehsildar Irshad Khan with sticks on the head after he asked them to stop playing DJ music loudly at a religious function in Mahidpur, some 40 km from the district headquarters, as their use is banned,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Nitesh Bhargava on Thursday.

The two have been arrested.

The tehsildar was rushed to a medical facility and given first aid, the official added.

Sources close to Mr Khan said he received three stitches on the head and will undergo an MRI test at the district hospital.

A video circulating on social media showed Khan pressing a handkerchief to his head and covering the wound while being driven to the hospital. Droplets of blood can be seen on his shirt.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

A disturbing video that has been widely shared, sparking outrage, shows a man raping a woman on the road in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain. The man had allegedly got the woman drunk before sexually assaulting her, and the video has now led to his arrest.

The crime occurred on Wednesday when the man, who had promised to marry the woman, offered her alcohol and then raped her. He then threatened her against speaking about the sexual assault before fleeing the spot.

Police officials said they found out about the crime after the video went viral on social media and managed to trace the man and arrest him.

“The accused had promised to marry the woman. He made her consume alcohol and raped her,” said an official.

Bhopal:

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has clarified that it has not issued any instructions requiring shop owners to display their names along the Kanwar Yatra route in the state, and there is no such compulsion.

Amidst a row in Uttar Pradesh over a directive to highlight shop owners’ names on eateries along the Yatra route, the MP government has asked urban bodies to refrain from spreading any confusion.

A statement was issued by the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) on Sunday night, days after the Ujjain mayor claimed shop owners had been directed to display their names and phone numbers on boards.

No instructions have been issued at the state government level regarding writing the names of shop owners on boards of their establishments along the Kanwar Yatra routes in urban areas, the UDHD stated.

Ujjain mayor Mukesh Tatwal last week cited a purported decision of the mayor-in-council dated September 26, 2002, and claimed a proposal asking shopkeepers to display their names had been approved.

He claimed the approval was forwarded to the state government for objections and all formalities have been completed.

Stating that such reports are inaccurate, the UDHD instructed urban bodies to avoid spreading confusion regarding directives to shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route, emphasising that Madhya Pradesh Outdoor Advertisement Media Rules, 2017, do not compel shop owners to display their names on boards.

“Boards can be put up on shops under the Madhya Pradesh Outdoor Advertisement Media Rules, 2017. There is no compulsion to display the name of the shop owner on these boards,” the UDHD stated.

Following the mayor’s comments, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation also confirmed that no proposal is in place to mandate the display of names and phone numbers on shop boards in the city.

Separately, BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola had written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, expressing support for shop owners to proudly display their names.

Mr Mendola argued that the display of names is a matter of personal pride and customer right, and not something to be mandated or discouraged.

“Every small and big trader, businessman, and shopkeeper in Madhya Pradesh will experience a sense of pride in telling their names,” the MLA stated.

In Uttar Pradesh, the controversy began when Muzaffarnagar police ordered eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display owners’ names to avoid confusion. This directive has faced criticism from opposition parties and some ruling alliance members who argue that it unfairly targets Muslim traders.

The BJP government in UP extended this order statewide on Friday, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said similar instructions are already in place in his state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

An autorickshaw driver who was detained by the police after blood stains were found in his vehicle in the horrific Ujjain rape case has said he helped the 15-year-old girl by giving her clothes.

The autorickshaw driver Rakesh Malviya told the police his only mistake was he did not take the girl to hospital, but left her on the road.

The police yesterday told NDTV those who did not help the girl – who had been raped and left half-naked and bleeding, and went door-to-door begging for help – may be charged under child sex abuse laws. They may face action under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for not reporting the crime.

Mr Malviya spent four night in police custody after he was detained over suspicion that he could be the suspect. The police have now said he should have reported the matter immediately or taken the girl to hospital.

The autorickshaw driver said he gave the girl a khaki shirt that drivers wear. He said he regrets not having taken her to hospital.

“I gave a khaki shirt to her. She said she wanted to go home. I regret it a lot. I was also confused. I found myself in this situation for the first time, didn’t know who to tell,” Mr Malviya said.

The indifference of some residents of Ujjain whose doors the girl knocked for help has been criticised widely. For two hours, no one in the places she passed by – over 500 houses, dhabas and a toll booth – did not help her, until a temple priest helped her and called the police.

A man standing outside a house was seen on CCTV in what appeared like he was talking rudely to the girl using aggressive gestures. The man’s brother, however, said it was all a misunderstanding.

“My brother had just woken up and was groggy. As soon as he opened the gate, he saw the girl suddenly coming towards the gate. He then went in to call our sister-in-law. By then the girl left and we could not help her. We feel very sorry. The girl should get justice,” said Tarun Das Swami, the brother of the man seen on CCTV.

Another Ujjain resident, who does not live in the part of the city where the girl got no help, criticised the resident for not helping her. “People have ignored the girl. Our Ujjain has become infamous. It is the city of Mahakal. If this has happened here, then what can we say?” Ujjain resident Renu Bansal said.

The main accused, Bharat Soni, is in jail, while the girl is recovering in hospital.

The Madhya Pradesh police had said it took an extraordinary effort to crack the case, which involved interrogating hundreds of people, and scanning footage from over 700 CCTV cameras before they found links to the main accused.

Ujjain:

The father of the man arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in Ujjain on Friday demanded capital punishment for his son, while the local bar association appealed that no lawyer should defend him in the court.

The opposition Congress, meanwhile, continued to target the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over the incident and questioned the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Bharat Soni, an auto rickshaw driver, was arrested in the case on Thursday.

“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 told reporters here.

Ujjain Bar Council president Ashok Yadav said the incident had damaged the reputation of the temple city.

“We are appealing to our members not to take up the case of the accused,” he said.

Bharat Soni was arrested three days after a girl, aged about 12, was found walking on the city streets in injured condition.

Medical examination established that she had been raped.

Soni sustained injury when he allegedly tried to escape while being taken to the crime spot for investigation, police had said on Thursday. The girl is admitted to the Government Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar Women’s Hospital in Indore where she underwent a major surgery on Wednesday.

A counsellor interacted with her and found that she belongs to the Satna district of MP. But she could not tell her name or address properly.

Police had said that a complaint about a girl of the same age going missing had been registered in Satna, but it was to be confirmed if the rape survivor was the same girl.

The Congress slammed the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh where assembly elections are due by the year-end.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that the law-and-order situation in the state had considerably deteriorated under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

“In Madhya Pradesh, being a Dalit, tribal and woman has become a sin. Madhya Pradesh is number one in rapes of minors. Fifty-eight thousand rape cases and 68,000 kidnapping cases have been reported in 18 years of his (Chouhan’s) rule. But the country’s prime minister, home minister and all the BJP leaders are just sitting silent,” Shrinate told reporters in Delhi.

She also questioned the “silence” of Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) over the incident.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh, claimed that the attack on this “Dalit girl” was more brutal than that on the Nirbhaya case victim.

Surjewala also visited the Holkar Women’s Hospital in Indore.

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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Those who did not help a 15-year-old girl in Ujjain – who had been raped and left half-naked and bleeding, and went door-to-door begging for help – may be charged under child sex abuse laws, a senior Madhya Pradesh police officer told NDTV on Friday. They may face action under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for ‘failing to report or register the commission’ of a crime.

Jayant Singh Rathore, an Additional Superintendent of Police in Ujjain, said that at least one such individual had been identified – an auto rickshaw driver who “knowingly did not inform the police”.

“Action has been taken against him. CCTV footage will be studied. If more people are found, and it is clear they did not help (the girl) or did not inform the police, we will take legal action,” he said.

The auto-rickshaw driver has been identified as Rakesh Malviya. Police said he ferried the young girl in his vehicle – they found blood stains on the seat – but did not tell the police of her condition.

The question now is – will others who similarly refused to help her also face police action? Will they act against the people who saw and ignored a young girl bleeding and in clear distress?

“Some Gave Her Rs 50, Some Rs 100”: Cop’s Shocker

NDTV earlier reported on CCTV footage of a man shooing the bleeding girl away; the heart-breaking clip showed him leaning nonchalantly against his front door and refusing to help.

Police review of that footage showed others had been equally heartless, but Ujjain top cop Sachin Sharma disagreed with the statement that no one helped the girl.

“We traced the video and questioned people in the area. When we found her, she had Rs 120 people from the locality gave her… people may have had reservations, but financially they tried.”

READ | “People Gave ₹ 50-100”: Cop On How Residents ‘Helped’ Teen Rape Survivor

Mr Sharma also told NDTV, “She crossed a toll booth on the way. The staff there gave her money and some clothes. At least seven-eight people tried to help.”

None of those, however, took her in off the streets and called the police. Not till she came upon a priest who protected her and alerted the authorities.

READ | “Gave Her Clothes, Called Cops”: Ujjain Priest Who Helped Teen Rape Survivor

Good Samaritans In Police Too

Fortunately for the young girl, there were still some people willing to help. Apart from the priest, two policemen donated blood and another said he wants to sponsor her education and healthcare.

READ | Cop Offers To Sponsor Education Of Ujjain Rape Survivor

“We were on duty for the President’s visit… we came forward and reached the hospital to donate blood,” Jaipal Goyal, one of the policemen, said.

Accused’s Father Wants Death Penalty

Meanwhile, the father of the main accused – Bharat Soni – has said his son must be punished and asked “what other punishment would there be other than death?” “This is very wrong. He should be punished… I would have killed him,” Raja Soni told NDTV.

The main accused is also an auto-rickshaw driver and was caught after an extensive investigation that included scanning through footage from nearly 700 CCTV feeds. “30-35 people were engaged. No one slept for three-four days,” Ajay Verma, a senior police officer, told NDTV.

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

Once caught, he was taken to where he allegedly raped the girl. There, however, he tried to escape but was run down by two police officers. All three men suffered injuries in the fight that followed.

“Today, 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,” another police officer told reporters.

“Daughter Of Madhya Pradesh”

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan – who faces an Assembly election in November – said his government will ensure the accused is severely punished.

READ | “He Has No Place In Society”: Shivraj Chouhan On Ujjain Teen Rape Accused

“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.

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