Crime abated? Man tries to rape baby; woman molested at gunpoint

Misconceptions that crimes against women and children would be reduced during the COVID-induced lockdown, since restrictions have been imposed on movement of people, have been proven wrong. A 50-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to rape a toddler on Thursday (June 4) morning in Indergarh town of Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district, police said.

The girl baby, aged less then two years, is a grand-daughter of the accused man’s friend, they said.

In the morning, the accused lured the girl by offering chocolate and took her to his house where he tried to rape her, said Indergarh police station in-charge Raju Razak.

When the girl started crying, the accused fled the spot, but was later arrested, Razak said.

Based on the complaint by the victim’s family, a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, was registered against the accused, the official added.

IAS officer accused of raping woman to be suspended

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday issued orders to suspend an IAS officer accused of raping a 33-year-old woman in Janjgir-Champa district of the state, officials said.

“Taking serious congnisance of the allegations against the officer, the chief minister has directed Chief Secretary R P Mandal to suspend him with immediate effect and get the matter probed by a high-level committee,” an official statement said.

The chief minister also ordered that a high-level committee be formed to investigate the case, they said.

On Wednesday (June 3), an FIR was registered against IAS officer Janak Prasad Pathak for allegedly raping the woman during his tenure as Janjgir-Champa collector last month.

In her complaint to Janjgir-Champa Superintendent of Police Parul Mathur on Wednesday, the woman alleged that on May 15 this year, the officer, then collector of the district, sexually exploited her on the collectorate premises by threatening to sack her husband, a government employee, a police official said.

The accused also sent obscene messages to her, she alleged in her complaint, and provided screenshots of the messages from her mobile phone to the police, he said.

The case was registered against Pathak under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 B (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

Pathak was transferred as Director of Land Records in Raipur from Janjgir-Champa on May 26 this year.

20-year-old woman raped by neighbour at gunpoint in Muzaffarnagar

On the other hand, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a neighbour at gunpoint when she was alone in her house in Muzaffarnagar district, police said on Thursday.

Charthawal police station SHO Sube Singh said a case has been registered based on a complaint filed by the woman’s father and the accused arrested.

The woman has been sent for medical examination.

According to a complaint filed by the woman’s father, the accused entered into their house on Wednesday when her daughter was alone and raped her at pistol-point.

(With inputs from agencies)