The police on Thursday said they arrested three of the six persons who allegedly assaulted two army officers and raped their woman friend near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
The announcement of arrests came on a day Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi slammed the BJP over the incident, alleging “non-existent” law and order in the states ruled by the saffron party.
Anil Baror (27) and Pawan Bansunia (23) were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody for five days, said a police official.
Another accused, Ritesh Bhabhar (25), was arrested on Thursday night.
Superintendent of police (Rural) Hitika Vasal said that Bhabhar was accused of threatening the two army officers and their two women friends with a pistol during the incident, while the other accused were carrying sticks.
A total of six accused have been identified in connection with the incident that took place in the wee hours of Wednesday near the popular tourist spot Jam Gate, about 30 km from Mhow military cantonment, the police said.
"Several teams are on the lookout for the three absconding accused, and a reward of Rs 10,000 has been announced for (information about) each of them," the SP said.
The army officers, aged 23 and 24, undergoing the Young Officers course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town, had gone out for a picnic with their two female friends.
The accused arrived at the picnic spot around 2 am, and started assaulting one of the officers and his female friend who were sitting in the car, the police said.
Upon hearing the commotion, the other officer and his woman friend, who were on a hilltop, reached the spot.
Later, after police reached the spot, the army officers and their female friends were brought to Mhow civil hospital, where a medical examination confirmed that one of the women was raped, an official said.
A case has been 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 based on the complaint filed by the officer.
One of those arrested reportedly has a case of loot registered against him in 2016.
The crime spot is located in a hilly region surrounded by forests, said SP Vasal.
Badgonda police station in-charge Lokendra Singh Hirore said the accused held one of the couples captive while beating them up, and told the other couple that the hostages would be released only when they give them Rs 10 lakh.
"The complainant has told us that the accused took his woman friend away to a place and he suspected that she was raped. The woman's statement is yet to be recorded," the official said.
Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP over the attack, saying the negative attitude of the BJP government towards rising crimes against women is "extremely worrying".
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the prime minister talks big about women's safety, but women across the country are still waiting for a serious effort for their safety.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the violence against the two army men and the rape of their female companion in Madhya Pradesh is enough to shame the entire society.
"Law and order in BJP-ruled states is almost non-existent and the negative attitude of BJP government towards the increasing crimes against women is extremely worrying," he said.
This audacity of the criminals is a result of the total failure of the administration and the unsafe environment prevailing in the country which is also a restriction on the freedom and aspirations of the daughters of India, Gandhi said.
In her post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the incident of gang rape of a woman after holding army officers hostage in Madhya Pradesh, and that of the naked body of a woman being found on the highway in Uttar Pradesh are "heart-wrenching".
Every day on average 86 women are becoming victims of rape and brutality in the country, she said.
"From home to outside, from road to office, women are not safe anywhere. Half of the country's population is not only unsafe, but due to such brutality, the morale of crores of women is broken every day," Priyanka Gandhi said.
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