Sendhwa (Madhya Pradesh): Barely 24 hours after the horrifying incident of a six-year-old girl being sexually assaulted and murdered by a 21-year-old man in Burhanpur, another disturbing case has emerged in Barwani district. An 11-year-old girláwas sexually assaulted by a 31-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from the minority community.
These consecutive atrocities have sparked widespread outrage, with residents of both Burhanpur and Sendhwa towns staging protests and demanding capital punishment for the accused. In Sendhwa, the incident occurred on Tuesday night and the police have arrested the 31-year-old accused. "The victim had accompanied her mother to a city hotel, where the latter works. After completing her tasks, when the woman stepped out, she could not find her daughter there.
She finally approached the police after her daughter was nowhere to be found," SP Puneet Gehlot said. The police then launched a search operation and later found the girl on the premises of a local fort, he said, adding that her medical examination confirmed that she has been raped.
On the basis of evidence and information provided by the girl, the police arrested the accused, he said. After the information about the incident of rape spread across the city, a group of people staged a road blockade and closed the market demanding action against the accused. SDM Abhishek Saraf said he assured the protesters of strict action against the accused. A team of the municipality has taken measurements of the house of the accused and further action will be taken based on its report, he said.
Hindu organisations demand death penalty for rape accused
The members of several Hindu organisations in Sendhwa staged a protest at the Old Bus Stand by blocking the roads on Wednesday, demanding capital punishment for the man who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl inside the Fort premises on Tuesday night.
Keeping a tab on the situation, an additional police force led by ASP Anil Patidar reached the spot and attempted to pacify the situation. However, it escalated further. Meanwhile, SP Puneet Gehlot calmed the situation by speaking with members of Hindu organisations at the police station at noon. After assuring them of the harshest punishment, a fewáof them calmed down, but many were stillánot satisfied.
