A 20-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped by four men in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh, while she was out with her fiancé. The assailants also physically assaulted her partner, forcing him to flee, said ASP Arvind Srivastava on Wednesday.
The couple had gone to a hill near Kathoutha after parking their motorcycle by the roadside. Four men spotted them, attacked the fiancé, and chased him away. The woman was then allegedly raped by the group. After managing to escape, she contacted her partner, and the two reached Semaria police station to file a complaint.
The police swiftly registered an FIR and sent the couple for medical treatment at a local health center. Three of the accused have been arrested, while five police teams are pursuing the fourth suspect.
The incident has sparked political outrage. Congress state chief Jitu Patwari criticized the BJP government, stating that the crime reflects the deteriorating law and order in the state. He cited alarming statistics—7,418 rapes of Dalit and tribal women, 338 gang-rapes, and 558 murders in the last three years—highlighting a daily average of seven such atrocities.
Patwari alleged that the government’s lack of action emboldens criminals and denies justice to victims.
The investigation is ongoing.