Madhya Pradesh has been jolted by two rape incidents in a span of two days - one from Rewa and another from Indore. While a newly married woman was gang-raped in Rewa, a 40-year-old mentally ill woman was raped late at night on a deserted road.
In Rewa, a newly married woman was raped by five men while she was on an outing with her husband. The crime was committed on Monday at a picnic spot, police said on Friday.
"The woman got married recently. She and her husband are in the age group of 19-20 and are still in college," Rewa Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Himali Pathak told news agency PTI over the phone.
The DSP, citing the woman's statement, said the victim had a fight with her husband near a fountain. Following that, five men approached the woman and began to harass her. The accused then took turns to rape the woman near the fountain.
Police have rounded up more than 100 people as part of their probe, the DSP said. Calling the gang-rape a sensitive case, she said the police were treading carefully to ensure that the survivor's identity was not disclosed.
The woman told the police that one of the five accused who raped her had tattoos on his hand and chest.
Following the crime, the couple approached the police around 1.30 pm on Tuesday. "The forensic staff and I rushed to the spot. The medical test of the survivor was conducted and an FIR was registered the same day at 7 pm," the DSP said.
"No one has been arrested so far. We have rounded up more than 100 people and suspects. Our investigation is underway," she said.
A case against the five men was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for gang-rape and other charges.
In Indore, a 40-year-old woman suffering from mental illness was raped by a 20-year-old man on the intervening nights of Monday and Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar Sharma said the accused, who was arrested later, committed the crime when he spotted the woman walking alone on a road.
"He took her with him, raped her and fled," the police officer said, adding that the victim was found by the police in their patrol vehicle.
Police identified the accused by scanning footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area and arrested him.
The accused was produced in a local court that remanded him to judicial custody, Sadar Bazar police station in-charge Tarun Singh Bhati said.
The victim will be hospitalised for treatment of mental illness, the police officer said.
