Madhya Pradesh is said to be the state with highest rate of atrocities against women. Last year, the state government had passed a law making rape of a girl below the age of 12 years punishable with death sentence. Despite these moves the state continues to see an increase in crimes against women.
According to reports, a B Com second year student, who was being harassed by stalkers for the last several months, committed suicide. Despite her plea, the police had reportedly failed to provide her any security from her harassers.
Another girl in the village of Mothi in Sagar district committed suicide after she was allegedly raped by a local youth. According to the police, the girl took the extreme step out of fear of bringing bad name to her family.
Two cases of rape were reported in the state capital in last two days. The 13-year-old daughter of a retired army man was allegedly raped in Gautam Nagar locality. According to the local police, the girl was alone at home when the accused Ravindra Maurya, who was a tenant at her house, raped her. The girl was alone as her father a security guard in a private company had gone out.
In another case under Nazirabad police station of Bhopal, a case was registered against a 17-year-old boy for raping a 14-year-old girl. The incident happened in two months back but came to light two days ago when the victim narrated the ordeal to her parents. The parents later complained to the police.
As a preventive step Bhopal police took out a parade of criminals who were accused of harassing girls. The parade was taken out in market places to instill confidence among people.
In December, the Madhya Pradesh assembly had passed the Penal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2007, making rape or gang-rape of a girl below 12 years of age punishable with death sentence. The bill, which proposes amendments into IPC and the CrPC, also has provisions for strict punishment for other crimes against women, including disrobing a woman at a public place, stalking and luring a woman into having sexual intercourse on the pretext of marriage etc. But the bill is with the President of India waiting for his consent.