Stalker attacks girl, 17, with axe after marriage rejection, 2 held in MP: Police

The girl, left with deep head and neck injuries, required 60 stitches and continues to be under intensive treatment in a serious condition, doctor said

Published on: Jun 6, 2026, 09:30:05 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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A 17-year-old girl was brutally attacked in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district after she allegedly rejected a marriage proposal from a 22-year-old man who had been stalking her, police said, adding that the main suspect and his father have been arrested in connection with the case, while three others remain absconding.

The accused had been harassing the girl for a long time and pressuring her for marriage, police said. (Representative photo)

The girl, left with deep head and neck injuries, was rushed to the district hospital and later referred to Gwalior in critical condition. Doctors said she required 60 stitches and continues to be under intensive treatment in a serious condition.

Police have identified the stalker as Dharmendra Parihar and his father as Ajab Singh Parihar.

“The accused had been harassing the girl for a long time and pressuring her for marriage. Agitated by her refusal, Dharmendra entered her house on Friday when she was alone. He attacked her with an axe. The girl ran to the rooftop to save herself, but he used a scarf to hang her. When people saw this, he fled, leaving the noose behind,” sub-divisional officer of police Prashant Sharma said.

A video of the incident, showing Dharmendra hanging the girl with a scarf while standing on the rooftop, was widely circulated on social media on Saturday.

Police registered an FIR against five people, including Dharmendra, under charges of attempt to murder, grievous hurt, and house trespassing.

Interrogation of the main suspect is underway.

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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