On July 29, a ten-year-old girl was raped by two men at the famous Sharda Mata temple premise in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh. The incident sent shockwaves through the district, as the victim’s body was found all soaked in blood, with a stick inserted in her private part and bite marks all over. Soon the administration swung into action. Within a day of the horrific crime, the administration razed the property of the accused involved in the act.
The accused have been identified as Ravi Chaudhary, 31, and Atul Bhadholiya, 30, both residents of Maihar town. They were the employees in the temple, and following the incident, the temple authorities sacked them.
It is noteworthy that after the girl’s recovery, she was admitted to the Rewa Medical College. The minor’s condition is still critical. The Hindustan Times quoted the doctor saying, the minor was covered in blood and her body had turned blue due to bite marks and physical assault.
What does the police say?
According to the police, the accused took her to the nearby forest where they gang-raped and assualted her. She was found about a kilometre away from her home in Arkandi township under Maihar police station on July 28, said police.
“We received information this morning about the girl being found. Our investigation has confirmed that she was raped. Two suspects have been arrested and are in police custody. A medical examination is being conducted. The survivor has been referred to the Rewa Medical College,” said Maihar sub-divisional police officer Lokesh Dabar.
“Her condition is still critical. An air ambulance is ready to airlift her to Delhi, if requires,” said KP Venkateshwar, additional director general (ADG) of police, Rewa.
“The accused persons have confessed to the crime. They said the girl was going to take water from a temple when they stopped her. They her to a nearby forest and raped her. They also inserted wood in her private part and left her to die. The family members, who were already looking for the girl, found her one km away from the house,” said Animesh Dwivedi, town inspector, Maihar.
Earlier, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Gupta had told PTI, “I am not denying that a stick or some other object was inserted into the 12-year-old’s private parts by accused Ravindra Kumar Ravi and Atul Bhadoliya. But this is something that can only be confirmed only in a medical report.” He said the survivor is undergoing treatment at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Rewa and senior officials had visited the facility to inquire about her health.
The accused were charged under Section 366 (kidnapping) 376(d) (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.
What does the CM say?
While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was distressed by the incident.
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the incident and said that the accused will not be spared.
मैहर में बेटी के साथ दुष्कर्म की जानकारी मिली है, मन पीड़ा से भरा हुआ है, व्यथित हूं।
मैंने पुलिस को निर्देश दिए हैं कि कोई भी अपराधी बचना नहीं चाहिए
पुलिस ने अपराधियों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया है ।प्रशासन को निर्देश दिए हैं कि बेटी के समुचित इलाज की व्यवस्था की जाए ।
कोई भी…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) July 28, 2023
“I have received information about the rape in Maihar, my heart is full of pain, I am distressed. I have instructed the police that no criminal should escape. The police have arrested the criminals. Instructions have been given to the administration to make arrangements for proper treatment of the girl. No criminal will be spared, strictest action will be taken,” Singh wrote on Twitter.
The bulldozer trial
Both the accused’s houses were found to be constructed illegally, according to the report. The chief municipal officer of Maihar Municipal Council on Friday issued notices to the families of the two men seeking documents related to their land and buildings, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Lokesh Dabar said.
सतना जिले के मैहर में नाबालिग बालिका के साथ हुए दुष्कर्म के मामले में आरोपियों के खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की गई।
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प्रशासन और पुलिस की संयुक्त टीम ने आज दोनों आरोपियों के अवैध निर्माण को बुलडोजर चला कर जमींदोज कर दिया।@CMMadhyaPradesh @mohdept @Collector_Satna #JansamparkMP pic.twitter.com/66mZtH6n6h— Jansampark MP (@JansamparkMP) July 29, 2023
He said that Bhadoliya’s house in Udaipur’s Vidisha district was built on government land used for non-agricultural purposes, while Kumar’s home inMaliyan Tola, New Basti, was built without permission.
