5-year-old girl gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh, one arrested

Subsequently, the girl’s family filed a complaint of abduction against the two men, following which a search was launched to find the minor, the senior officer said

Updated on: Dec 21, 2023, 07:12:09 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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A five-year-old girl has been allegedly gang-raped and physically assaulted by two men after they abducted her in a village in Harda district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Wednesday, adding that one of the accused has been arrested.

The minor had multiple injuries on her body and after an initial treatment, she was referred to Hamidia hospital in Bhopal (Representative photo)

“On Sunday (December 17), the girl was playing in an agricultural field on the side of the road in a village in Harda district. Two men arrived on a two-wheeler and asked for water from her father. When the girl’s father returned with water, the two men had left and the girl went missing,” Harda superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Kanchan said.

Subsequently, the girl’s family filed a complaint of abduction against the two men, following which a search was launched to find the minor, the senior officer said.

“On Monday morning, the girl’s relatives and local residents her found near a culvert at some distance from the village. They brought the girl back to the house and informed the police,” the SP said. “The two men abducted the girl, gang-raped her and left her near the culvert.”

The minor had multiple injuries on her body and after an initial treatment, she was referred to Hamidia hospital in Bhopal. A team of doctors found more than 20 bite marks and deep scratches on the girl’s body, the senior officer said. “She is stable and out of danger. A team of doctors are treating her.”

Based on the doctors’ observations and a complaint from the girl’s family, the police registered a first information report (FIR) against two accused under sections 363 (abduction) and 376D (gangrape) among others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the prevention of children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act, the SP said.

On Wednesday, one of the accused, identified as 40-year-old Nanakaran, was arrested while the second man is absconding. “During his interrogation, Nanakaran confessed to his crime,” the SP said. “We are trying to nab the other accused.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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