A furore erupted in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday over the alleged gang-rape and drugging of a 15-year-old girl at Chachoda in Guna district in the previous day.
Even as five persons, including two minors, have been arrested, police added charges of gang-rape against the accused only in the evening. Vinod Singh Chouhan, in-charge superintendent of police, had told THE WEEK that they were waiting for the medical report and confirmation of the statement by the girl.
The girl has reportedly said in her statement that she was gang-raped, but the SP said that he is yet to see the complete statement and police are yet to receive the medical report. Further actions would be taken on the basis of these, he said.
Earlier, police had filed a case under Section 363 and 366(A) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 11/12 and 16/18 of POSCO – pertaining to kidnapping and procurement of girl for illegal sex of minor girl—against the five persons.
Chouhan said that three of the four accused named in the FIR registered on the complaint of the girl’s father on Friday night and another named on Saturday have been arrested. Later in the evening, another minor person was arrested.
The officer confirmed the names of two of the arrested accused as Vivek Meena and Mohit Meena.
Following pressure from the locals, the district administration is said to have served notice to show property papers to the families of the three arrested accused and assured action (of razing property) if illegal construction was found.
Congress MLA from Chachoda, Lakshman Singh, who participated in a demonstration and road blockade by local people that continued for about three hours, told THE WEEK that the girl has named seven persons in the case, but only four were arrested while three remain absconding.
“We demand arrest of all the accused, registering cases under sections of gang-rape and pertinent sections of POCSO Act and severe punishment for the accused. We also want proper medical treatment of the girl, which is not available at the Guna district hospital where she has been admitted to a general ward though she is in deep trauma,” The MLA said.
Drugging of the girl alleged
Singh further said that he suspected drugging of the girl as she remained unconscious for a long time and illicit drug trafficking was rampant in the district. “We have demanded that the police get the blood and urine sample of the girl tested to find out the exact nature of the drug used. I have been raising the issue of drug trafficking for a long time, but the police have done little about it.”
The girl, a resident of Chachoda and daughter of a Congress councillor, had gone to school at Binaganj, about 3 km from Chachoda, on Friday but did not return till late evening. Her father tried to lodge a missing complaint with the police, but no heed was paid to it, Singh alleged. He was then informed that the girl was lying unconscious near an abandoned house in Binaganj. The FIR was registered later on the complaint of the father.
On Saturday, furore erupted with the local markets remaining closed and people blocking the Chachoda-Binaganj road. Apart from Lakshman Singh, ex-MLA of BJP Mamta Meena also participated in the demonstration. Though this demonstration and blockade was called off after about three hours following assurance of strict action by police and administration, several women and girls later reached the local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) office and gheraoed it asking for demolition of properties of the accused and parading them.
Govt busy with poll events: Kamal Nath
Former chief minister and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath has severely condemned the incident. “Every day incidents of rapes with innocents come to fore in Madhya Pradesh. Sisters and daughters are not safe anywhere in the state and the law and order situation is at its worst. According to NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) figures, the state ranks first in the country in cases of rapes of minors. The government is meanwhile busy every day with poll events instead of providing security for sisters and daughters. All the accused in this (Guna) case have not yet been arrested. I demand the government immediately arrest all the accused and that they be be strictly punished. The family should get all possible assistance and proper medical treatment facilities should be arranged for the girl,” Nath said in a series of tweets.
