Salman, accused of raping a 6-year-old girl in Raisen, was caught in Bhopal after a six-day manhunt. Locals handed him to police, but he later tried to escape by snatching a revolver. Police shot him in the leg.
A week of fear, anger and massive protests across several districts in Madhya Pradesh came to an end on Friday, after the arrest of Salman, the man accused of raping a 6-year-old girl in Raisen district on November 21. His capture followed a six-day manhunt involving police teams, local residents, and intelligence units. But the drama did not stop with his arrest. During his transport back to Raisen, Salman tried to escape by grabbing a police officer’s pistol and firing at the police team. He was shot in the leg in retaliatory firing and later admitted to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal.
The case has created strong public anger across Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, Narmadapuram and Bhopal, leading to road blockades, protests, and even demands for strict action from the Chief Minister.
This article provides a detailed, simple-to-understand account of what happened, from the rape incident to the arrest, escape attempt, hospitalisation, evidence collection and the political reaction.
The rape incident on November 21
The case began on November 21 in Goharganj, under Raisen district. According to police, the accused, Salman, approached the 6-year-old girl near her home. He told her he would buy her a chocolate and took her towards a forested area.
Once inside the forest, he raped her.
Villagers later found the girl crying and in distress. She was immediately taken to the Obaidullaganj Hospital, where doctors confirmed sexual assault. She was then referred to AIIMS Bhopal for better treatment and monitoring. Doctors later reported improvement in her condition.
The brutality of the incident shocked the region and quickly led to strong public anger.
Public outrage and protests spread across districts
After the rape incident, protests erupted in Raisen and soon spread to nearby districts, including Vidisha, Sehore, Narmadapuram, and Bhopal. People demanded the arrest of Salman and questioned how he had managed to escape.
Roads were blocked in many places, creating long traffic jams. Protesters raised slogans, held marches, and demanded strict punishment. The pressure on the police increased daily as frustration grew over the delay in arresting the accused.
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Police launch a six-day manhunt
Police teams began a large search operation soon after the case was reported. They announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for anyone providing information about Salman’s location. According to officers, the accused moved mostly on foot through forested areas while running from the police. He reportedly avoided major roads and travelled at night.
During this time, he hid in Bhopal for nearly two days, trying to avoid being caught. His house, located in Shyampur in Sehore district, is close to the Bhopal area he reached.
How the accused was finally caught in Bhopal
The breakthrough came around 11 pm on Thursday night in Bhopal’s Gandhinagar area. According to police, the accused was looking for a rented room. Local people became suspicious because he did not have any identity card and appeared nervous. When they recognised him from news reports and police alerts, they immediately informed others in the area.
A group of residents gathered and caught him. They then handed him over to the Gandhinagar police station. This finally ended the six-day chase that had stretched police resources across many districts.
The escape attempt and encounter during transport
Once arrested, Salman was handed over by Bhopal Police to Raisen Police. A team then began transporting him back to Goharganj for further questioning.
However, the situation changed in the early hours of Friday morning.
Tyre puncture leads to a dramatic escape attempt
Near Keertanagar in Obedullaganj, the police vehicle carrying the accused developed a rear tyre puncture. The police had to stop the vehicle and move him into another one.
As he was being shifted, the accused suddenly snatched a sub-inspector’s revolver. He fired at the police team in an attempt to escape.
Police fire in retaliation
In response, police officers fired at him. Inspector Vijay Tripathi confirmed that they fired four bullets during the crossfire, and one bullet hit the accused in his leg. One police official also suffered minor injuries during the incident. The accused was quickly overpowered by the police team.
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Accused admitted to Hamidia Hospital
Soon after the encounter, the accused was taken to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal shortly after midnight for treatment. He is currently under strict guard and will be questioned once his condition improves, according to officials. Large numbers of police officers, senior officials, and security staff reached the hospital to manage the situation as public anger continued to rise.
FSL team examines the encounter site
To ensure a complete and fair investigation, a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team visited the encounter site on Friday morning. Senior Scientist and Incharge of FSL Bhopal, Dr Arvind Kumar Badolia, confirmed that they collected evidence from the area. Items collected include:
- Blood samples
- Items related to the gun firing
- Material from the ground where the incident took place
He said the evidence would be tested and the report would be admissible in court.
Police statements on the encounter
Sub Inspector Sunil Singh explained that the accused tried to flee when the tyre puncture forced the team to shift vehicles. He confirmed that the accused fired first before police responded. Inspector Vijay Tripathi, who fired the bullet that hit Salman, said the accused was attempting to fire at the police team again when they retaliated.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s strong reaction
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had earlier expressed unhappiness over the delay in arresting the rape accused and over the police handling of the road blockades.
On November 26, he reviewed the case with senior officials. Following this review, he ordered the immediate removal of then Raisen SP Pankaj Pandey and attached him to the Police Headquarters. His actions came after growing public anger and demand for stronger police response.
Public gather outside hospital demanding strict action
On Friday morning, members of Hindu Utsav Samiti and Sanskriti Bachao Manch gathered outside Hamidia Hospital. They raised slogans and demanded that the police ‘gun down’ the accused. Some members questioned how the accused managed to hide in Bhopal for two days without the police detecting him. They also pointed out what they believed were intelligence lapses.
Despite ongoing anger, many residents in Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, Narmadapuram, and Bhopal expressed relief after the arrest. For six days, tension had been high across districts, with worry growing that the accused might escape permanently.
With the arrest confirmed and the accused now under treatment and guard, police hope the situation will calm down.
(With inputs from agencies)