A woman was raped on a busy road in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Instead of intervening, passersby filmed the sexual assault on their phones and posted the video on social media, where it quickly went viral.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the Koyla Phatak area, one of the busiest intersections in the city. The accused, identified as Lokesh, was later arrested.
According to police, the survivor, a ragpicker, met Lokesh in the area. He lured her under the pretext of marriage and convinced her to accompany him.
He coaxed the woman to drink alcohol and when she was intoxicated, he took her to a roadside shelter where he raped her.
An eyewitness filmed the incident and shared the video online, while the accused fled the scene after threatening the woman.
The viral video helped police locate the survivor, who was brought to the station, where a case was registered based on her statement. Police reviewed the video to identify the accused, leading to Lokesh’s arrest.
The incident ignited a political firestorm, with the opposition Congress blaming the ruling BJP pr the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Madhya Pradesh Congress posted the video of the sexual assault on X, saying, “Ujjain, the sacred city, is once again shamed. Those in power should either die of shame or resign.”
State Congress Chief Jitu Patwari tweeted, “Once again, the holy city of Ujjain is tarnished... Rapes are now happening in broad daylight in MP — on open streets. This is only possible when the law and government completely disappear. If this is the situation in the Chief Minister’s hometown, then one can imagine the condition of the rest of the state.”
