17-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Gangraped In MP’s Pachmarhi; Three Held

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 17-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly gangraped by three men after they tied up her male friend and held them hostage in a dense forest in Pachmarhi, a popular hill station in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday.

The police have detained the suspects in connection with the crime, which occurred on August 19, after the survivor’s family lodged a complaint on Sunday, an official said.

The police have registered a case under Section 70(2) (gangrape) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Pachmarhi Police Station in-charge Gopal Ghosale said.

According to the police, one of the suspects is a local gypsy driver, while the other two work at a local hotel.

The survivor was at a bus stand with a male friend when the gypsy driver, whom the latter was acquainted with, arrived there and took them on a ride with the other two suspects, police said.

The official said the minors were taken to a dense forest near the South Scout Guide area, where they were threatened. The survivor’s friend was tied up, and she was allegedly gangraped.

Following the assault, the suspects dropped the duo off at a bus stand and threatened to kill them if they informed anyone, he said.

The survivor informed her sister about the assault on Sunday, after which her family lodged a complaint, he added.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari called the gangrape a “stain” on the face of law and order and alleged that “unbridled crime” has become the state’s hallmark.

“The new questions raised about women’s safety at a popular tourist destination like Pachmarhi are proof that only strong action can dispel the fear that has gripped the minds of young girls,” he wrote in a post on X, tagging Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.