A night outing by two young Army officers and their female companions turned tragic when they were assaulted by a group of men who gang-raped one of the women at gunpoint near Jam Gate, located 50 kilometres from Indore, early Wednesday morning.
According to additional superintendent of police Rupesh Dwivedi, six suspects have been identified in connection with the crime, with two already arrested from nearby forests. Both Army officers sustained injuries during the attack. One officer was able to contact his superior, but by the time police arrived from Mhow, the assault had already occurred.
The Army officers are currently enrolled in the Young Officers course at the Infantry School in Mhow, as stated by superintendent of police (rural) Hitika Vasal. The complaint lodged by one of the lieutenants reveals that the group had driven to Ahilya Gate near Jam Gate on the Mhow-Mandleshwar road on Tuesday night.
Around 2:30 am, while the four were in the car, 6–7 men approached them, held one officer and a woman in the car, and instructed the other two to get Rs 10 lakh. The officer who was sent to retrieve the money notified his superiors once he reached an area with mobile phone coverage. However, by the time his teammates arrived, the attackers had already escaped.
The victims were transported to Mhow Civil Hospital around 6:30 am, where a medical examination revealed that one of the women had been gang-raped. The duty doctor also noted injuries on both officers. According to Vasal, the complaint includes allegations of rape, robbery, and assault.
“We arrested two men. One of them has a case of loot registered against him in 2016. This was not an organised gang. They saw these young people who had gathered at a night spot and decided to attack them. One person also had a pistol on him,” Vasal said.
The Badgonda police filed a case under various sections, including 70 (gang rape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion), and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt), along with relevant sections of the Arms Act. Forces from four police stations searched the forests near Chhoti Jaam village and arrested two suspects.
(With agency inputs)
First Published: Sep 12 2024 | 12:40 PM IST
