Mhow: Miscreants attacked two young Army officers and their two women friends and also raped one of them when they were out on a picnic in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district in the wee hours of Wednesday, police said.
Badgonda police station in-charge Lokendra Singh Hirore said the officers, aged 23 and 24, undergoing Young Officers (YO) course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town, had gone out for a picnic on Tuesday along with two female friends.
At about 2 am on Wednesday, seven unidentified men arrived near the picnic spot on Mhow-Mandleshwar road and started beating up one of the officers sitting in a car and also the women, he said.
The second officer, who was away from the car, managed to inform his seniors about the incident, after which police reached the spot, Hirore said.
Looking at the police, the miscreants fled the spot. All four victims were brought to Mhow Civil Hospital for medical examination at about 6.30 am and as per doctors, there were signs of injuries on the officers’ bodies, he informed.
Hirore said in the medical examination, it was found that the miscreants had raped one of the women.
Talking to reporters, Indore Rural SP Hitika Vasal said, “A case under (BNS) sections pertaining to loot, dacoity, rape and under the Arms Act has been registered.”
Personnel from four police stations have fanned out and launched a manhunt for the miscreants, Vasal added.
Two arrested
Following the incident, the Madhya Pradesh police have arrested two people in connection with the case. A search was on for the other four, police said.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hitika Vasal told PTI the accused held one of the couples captive while beating them up, and told the other couple that the hostages would be released only when they give them Rs 10 lakh.
“The complainant has told us that the accused took his woman friend away to a place and he suspected that she was raped. The woman’s statement is yet to be recorded,” the official said.
An FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act on charges of assault, robbery and rape, she said.
Extremely worrying: Rahul slams BJP
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that law and order in states ruled by the party was almost “non existent”.
The former Congress chief said the negative attitude of the BJP government towards increasing crimes against women is “extremely worrying”.
In a post on X in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said the violence against two army soldiers and the rape of their female companion in Madhya Pradesh is enough to shame the entire society.
“Law and order in BJP ruled states is almost non existent – and, the negative attitude of BJP government towards the increasing crimes against women is extremely worrying,” he said.
This audacity of the criminals is a result of the total failure of the administration and the unsafe environment prevailing in the country due to this which is a restriction on the freedom and aspirations of the daughters of India, Gandhi said.
“Both the society and the government should be ashamed and think seriously – how long will they turn a blind eye to the responsibility of protecting half the population of the country!” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also lashed out at the BJP, saying the prime minister talks big about women’s safety, but women across the country are still waiting for a serious effort for their safety.
In her post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the incidents of gang rape of a woman after holding army officers hostage in Madhya Pradesh and finding of the naked body of a woman on the highway in Uttar Pradesh are “heart-wrenching”.
Every day 86 women are becoming victims of rape and brutality in the country, she said.
“From home to outside, from road to office, women are not safe anywhere. Half of the country’s population is not only unsafe, but due to such brutality, the morale of crores of women is broken every day,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
“The prime minister talks big about women’s safety, but women across the country are still waiting for a serious effort for their safety. When will this wait end?” she said.
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