Mhow attack: All six accused held; Army orders probe against 2 officers

A departmental inquiry has been ordered against two Army officers who were attacked by a 6-member gang near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Friday.

Six men had attacked the two army officers and allegedly raped their woman friend in the intervening night of September 10 and 11 near Jam Gate, a popular tourist spot some 30 kilometres from the Mhow military cantonment, as per the police.

The Army officers, aged 23 and 24, are part of the Young Officers course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town.

"A departmental inquiry has been ordered against the two trainee officers. It is in progress and is being headed by a senior officer," an Army officer told PTI over phone from Mhow late Friday evening.

He said the women who accompanied the two officers during the ill-fated picnic were "old acquaintances" and they had not met on a dating app as is being speculated on social media.

Rubbishing talk that the two women may have been part of a gang, the senior officer said they are "working women who had come from out of station to meet the two lieutenants", adding that "nothing must be read into it".

As per the police, the two lieutenants had gone with the women for a picnic at Jam Gate, which gets a lots of tourists during daytime in the monsoon but becomes desolate once night sets in.

Three accused, identified as Rohit Girwal (23), Sandeep Wariya (18) and Sachin Makwana (25) were held during the day from a forest patch near the site of crime, the official said.

The trio was on the run and a reward of Rs 10,000 each had been announced for their arrests.

Three other accused, Anil Baror (27) and Pawan Bansunia (23) and Ritesh Bhabhar (25), were held on Wednesday and Thursday.

"The four were listening to loud music. Hearing it in the deserted area late at night, six accused reached the spot and committed the crime," superintendent of police (Rural) Hitika Vasal told reporters.

One of the attackers threatened the victims with a pistol, while the others were carrying sticks, Vasal said.

The accused held one couple hostage while assaulting them and told the other couple that the hostages would be released only if they brought them Rs 10 lakh, she said.

Vasal said the police reached the spot as soon as the incident was reported, "but the accused fled on seeing the headlight of the police vehicle."

A case was registered under sections 70 (gang rape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion) and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under sections of the Arms Act.

On the allegation of rape mentioned in the FIR, the SP said the victim is in a state of shock and is not ready to give her statement.

In the meantime, the accused are being questioned about the alleged rape, Vasal added.

Another official had earlier said, after a police team reached the spot, the two officers and their women friends were brought to Mhow civil hospital, where a medical examination confirmed that one of the women was raped.