In a chilling incident, a 13-year-old girl was gang-raped and violated with a wooden stick in Maihar of Satna district in Madhya Pradesh. The girl, who was missing for almost 18 hours, was found in critical condition and was admitted to a hospital in the neighbouring Rewa district. Her condition is said to be stable.
Two accused, Ravindra Kumar Ravi (Choudhary) and Atul Badholia, both aged 31 and working with the Maa Sharda Temple, have been arrested, Maihar police station in-charge Animesh Dwivedi told THE WEEK. The accused are residents of Udaipura and Malian Tola, respectively, situated close to the temple, and may have known the victim, the cop said.
Maa Sharda temple, also known as Maihar temple, is a revered religious place visited by hundreds of devotees from across the country throughout the year.
The girl, a resident of a settlement on the foothills of the temple, had gone out to fetch water at around 3.30 pm on Thursday when she went missing. The family found her in a seriously injured condition at around 9.00 am on Friday in the jungles of the hill on which the temple is located, Dwivedi said.
He confirmed that apart from being raped, the girl was assaulted and a wooden stick was inserted in her private parts. Dwivedi, who accompanied the girl to the hospital, said her condition was stable and the doctors hope that she would pull through the injuries.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan confirmed that the accused had been arrested, and assured the strictest action. “I have received information about the rape of a daughter 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 (district) administration to make arrangements for proper treatment of the daughter. No criminal will be spared, strictest action will be taken,” the CM tweeted.
However, the chief minister’s statement came nearly 45 minutes after the MP Congress chief and former chief minister Kamal Nath tweeted on the issue, lashing out at the Chouhan-led BJP government in the state. “The incident of rape with a little girl in Maihar is highly condemnable. Like the Nirbhaya case, the report of inhumane treatment with the girl child is also coming to the fore. Incidents of atrocities against girls in the state have proved that the Shivraj government has completely failed to provide security to the sisters and daughters. I demand from the Chief Minister that the best treatment should be provided to the daughter and she should be given financial assistance of one crore rupees immediately.”
MP reports the highest number of rapes of minors
Madhya Pradesh has been reporting the highest number of rapes in the country for the past several years, including the highest rapes of minors. In 2021, Madhya Pradesh reported 6,462 rapes, of which 3,515 (54 per cent) victims were minors. Though often Rajasthan is known to be reporting the highest number of rapes, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that Rajasthan reports all rapes under IPC sections, while Madhya Pradesh reports rapes of minors separately under POCSO Act. In 2021, Rajasthan reported 6,338 rapes, lower than Madhya Pradesh.
Service of accused terminated by temple committee
The Maa Sharda Temple Management Committee, Maihar, terminated the services of the two accused, given the nature of the heinous crime and the case registered against them.
Satna District Collector Anurag Verma released financial assistance of Rs 50,000 for the family of the victim, keeping in view their poor financial condition. Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Gupta visited the spot of the crime and later visited the Rewa hospital to take stock of the health condition of the victim.
