Sign in

Man accused of harassment kills complainant, ends life: Police

According to the police, the accused was harassing the 25-year-old woman allegedly because she refused to marry him. The woman had recently filed a complaint against the accused at Amla police station, following which he was called for interrogation, but later let off due to absence of evidence, said an official.

Updated on: Jul 12, 2021, 11:16:07 IST
By , Hindustan Times, Bhopal
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

A 22-year-old man, who was accused of sexual harassment, shot dead his complainant and two others, and then killed himself in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district on Saturday, police said.

According to the woman’s uncle, the accused had also threatened her family members. (File photo. Representative image)
According to the woman’s uncle, the accused had also threatened her family members. (File photo. Representative image)

According to the police, the accused was harassing the 25-year-old woman allegedly because she refused to marry him. The woman had recently filed a complaint against the accused at Amla police station, following which he was called for interrogation, but later let off due to absence of evidence, said an official.

“The accused went to the woman’s house on Saturdayto talk about the (sexual harassment) complaint. But the woman’s maternal uncle scolded him and asked him to leave. The accused left, but returned two hours later with two guns. He barged into the room where the woman was sitting with her 22-year-old cousin brother and an 18-year-old neighbour, locked it and shot all of them,” said superintendent of police (Betul), Simala Prasad.

After killing the three, the accused uploaded a video on Facebook, where he purportedly blamed the woman for the crime and accused her fiance (CHECK) of supplying the two guns used in the murder. He also sent a copy of the clip to the local police station via WhatsApp, following which he shot himself dead.

“The woman’s fiance has been detained for questioning. Family members of both the accused and the victim are also being questioned to ascertain the truth,” said Prasad.

“The fiance has, however, denied the allegations and claimed that the accused had earlier threatened to implicate him in a false case if he married the woman,” he added.

According to the woman’s uncle, the accused had also threatened her family members. “The accused threatened us with dire consequences several times. My niece filed a complaint. My niece would have been alive today, if the police had acted when we lodged a complaint.”

The SP said she was investigating the role of police personnel in the case and why did they allow him to go.

(With inputs from Bhojraj Raghuvanshi from Chhindwara)

  • Shruti Tomar
    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