A woman ragpicker was raped in broad daylight in a busy area of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, after being forced to consume alcohol and promised marriage, police said on Friday. The main accused, Lokesh, has been arrested. Disturbingly, several passersby filmed the incident rather than helping the victim.
The crime occurred on Wednesday but only came to public attention on Thursday night when the video surfaced on social media. Police have identified four individuals who allegedly recorded the video, and efforts are underway to apprehend them. Ujjain’s district superintendent of police confirmed that the victim was located based on the video and taken to the police station to give her statement. A case has been registered.
Ujjain is the hometown of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. On Friday, the Congress party condemned the incident and raised concerns about the law and order situation in the state. State Congress president Jitu Patwari remarked, “Ujjain, the sacred city, is shamed by this incident.” Former chief minister Kamal Nath criticized the state government for failing to curb violence against women. Meanwhile, BJP spokesman Narendra Saluja assured that the accused had been arrested and that strict action would be taken.
In a separate incident, police arrested a helper of a private ambulance in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, who, along with the driver, allegedly assaulted a woman while transporting her terminally ill husband. The accused disconnected the husband’s oxygen supply, leading to his death. Authorities are still searching for the ambulance driver.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Jitendra Kumar Dubey, the arrested helper, Rishabh, is in custody, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the driver. The woman had decided to take her husband home in a private ambulance on August 29 due to financial difficulties. On the way, the driver and helper allegedly harassed her. When she resisted, they stopped the ambulance in Basti district, roughly 150 kilometers from their destination, and forced the woman, her brother, and her husband out of the vehicle.
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