Woman raped, filmed in front of husband by 8 men at picnic spot in MP

The Opposition Congress alleged that the police hid the matter for four days as a regional industry conclave was being held in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa

Updated on: Oct 26, 2024, 10:11:01 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Eight intoxicated men allegedly gang raped a newly-married 19-year-old woman and filmed the assault after tying her husband to a tree at a popular picnic spot at Bhairav Baba in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, police said on Friday.

The incident came to light when police arrested five of the accused. (HT PHOTO)

The incident came to light when police arrested five of the accused. The Opposition Congress alleged police hid the matter for four days as a regional industry conclave was being held in Rewa.

Police maintained the matter was not reported immediately as the accused threatened to post the video of the sexual assault on social media if the woman did so. “They [the couple] had gone for a picnic on October 21 afternoon when the eight drunk accused attacked the couple. They tied the man with a tree and five-six of them raped her,” said Rewa police superintendent Vivek Singh. He said the couple are college students who got married recently. Singh added the accused allowed the couple to go after threatening them with consequences if they informed the police.

One of the five arrested accused, whose identities are yet to be revealed, told police that eight of them had gone to Bhairav Baba and some of them smoked marijuana and forced others to do the same. “We lost our senses. One of the group members saw the couple sitting on a hillock. We went there...five-six of us raped the woman. They also thrashed the man before tying him to a tree,” an investigator quoted the accused as saying.

The accused said the woman pleaded to be allowed to go. “The couple was allowed to go only when they promised that they would not inform the police.”

State Congress chief Jitu Patwari referred to the gang-rape in Rewa and said 18-20 women are being raped daily in Madhya Pradesh. “The husband was tied up and the wife was raped in front of him. This matter was not made public for days as there was an investor meeting in Rewa. If this is not jungle raj, then what is it?” he asked.

Madhya Pradesh reported the third-highest rape cases (3,029) in the country as per the 2022 National Crime Records Bureau report. Rajasthan reported 5,399 cases and Uttar Pradesh 3,690. The figures for 2023 have not been released so far.

(With inputs from Amit Singh in Satna)

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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