Minor rape victim beaten up with accused, paraded in public in MP, 5 arrested

Police said they are to ascertain the age of the accused who is the father of two children after he claimed that he is 17 years old.

Five people have been arrested for beating and parading a minor rape victim along with the rape accused after tying their hands in the village of Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh, police said Sunday.

The five people are the brothers, cousins and uncle of the girl. (Representational Photo)

Police also apprehended the accused, who is a father of two kids, and are trying to ascertain his age after he claimed that he is 17 years old.

Police registered a case on Sunday after a video of the incident went viral Saturday evening on social media in which the villagers were seen chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’.

“All the five accused have been identified as relatives of the 16-year-old rape victim. The accused and victim used to work together as labourers in Gujarat. They returned to the village a few days ago. The family members on Saturday came to know that the girl was raped by the accused,” Alirajpur’s superintendent of police Vijay Bhagwani said.

The five people are the brothers, cousins and uncle of the girl.

“Instead of informing police, they beat the victim and the accused the whole night and paraded them in the public on Sunday morning,” said the SP.

The five were arrested under section 294 (Obscene act in public places), 355 (Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC while the rape accused was apprehended under section 376 (rape) of IPC and under relevant section of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO).

Police are investigating the matter and trying to identify more villagers seen in the video, said the police officer.

Police sent the girl to One Stop Centre, a government-run shelter home for women affected by violence.