MP: Woman 'raped' on Ujjain footpath as bystanders shoot videos; Cong hit outs at BJP govt
The place where the crime occurred comes under the constituency of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav
A political slugfest has broken out in Madhya Pradesh, after the video of a woman being raped on a footpath in Ujjain even as bystanders watched the crime and took videos, went viral on social media.
Police said the survivor is a scrap collector who was allegedly raped by a man after he forced her to consume liquor. The incident happened on a footpath in Koyla Phatak near the Agar Naka area of Ujjain on Wednesday.
The accused identified as Lokesh has been arrested after the woman lodged a complaint against him.
Accused raped woman after intoxicating her: Police
“Yesterday (Thursday), at around 3.30 pm, a woman came to the police station and reported that she had been raped. Immediately a woman officer was called, her story was heard and a FIR was registered after informing senior officers,” City Superintendent of Police (CSP), Ujjain, Om Prakash Mishra told the media.
Mishra said the accused promised to marry the woman, made her drink liquor and then raped her on the footpath.
‘Bystanders took videos of crime’
He said several bystanders watched the crime happening instead of stopping it while some even took videos. Lokesh fled the spot after committing the crime and the woman lodged a complaint against him after the effects of alcohol wore off.
Mishra said an FIR was filed within two hours of the woman’s complaint. A team was formed to search for Lokesh and he was arrested.
“The accused was brought to the police station and questioned, during which Lokesh admitted to committing the crime,” Mishra said.
Accused sent to judicial custody
He said the medical examination of the woman has been conducted and Lokesh was sent to judicial custody after being presented before a court.
“Apart from this, the statement of the woman was also recorded before the court today (Friday). The woman has confirmed the incident of rape before the court… A video of this incident was made which also came to the police, we have taken it as evidence,” Mishra said.
Why is CM, PM silent? asks Congress
The Opposition Congress has hit out at the Mohan Yadav government over the incident, while pointing out that the alleged rape has happened in the chief minister’s constituency.
Mincing no words, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said such heinous crimes were happening in the state even as the BJP was protesting against the rape and murder of a doctor in West Bengal.
He also questioned the alleged silence of Chief Minister Yadav, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the incident.
“The BJP is protesting across the country against the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder incident…In Madhya Pradesh, 18 women are raped or face some form of harassment every day. Boundaries were crossed when in the chief minister’s own constituency, a woman was raped on the footpath…Why is MP CM Mohan Yadav, Union Minitser Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and PM Modi silent? There is jungle raj in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
Congress politicising incident: BJP
The BJP shot back at Patwari, with the party’s state chief VD Sharma accusing the Congress of politicising the incident.
“The Congress has no issues to corner the Madhya Pradesh government and that’s why they try to give such a colour to the incident… The BJP government is the first government to introduce a law to give the death penalty to the perpetrators of these kinds of incidents… The accused has been arrested and the state government will ensure that strict action is taken against them,” he said.