Raisen: Protests were staged in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, and markets were shut to demand the arrest of a man accused of raping a minor girl last week, while the government transferred the Superintendent of Police.
The situation escalated in Gauharganj town when miscreants pelted stones at the homes and places of worship of a particular community, but police immediately intervened and dispersed them by resorting to lathi-charge.
The six-year-old girl was raped on November 21 in Raisen district, allegedly by a man identified by police only as Salman (23). As the accused remained at large, angry locals and activists of various Hindu groups hit the streets and staged protests in different parts of the district, located adjoining state capital Bhopal, for the fifth day, demanding his immediate arrest.
Additional Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Kharpuse asserted cops will not allow the situation in the district to escalate under any circumstances and assured the accused will be arrested soon as raids are being conducted to trace him.
Amid the ongoing protests, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav held a meeting with officials at the police headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday night and reviewed the situation in Raisen.
He issued instructions to authorities for prompt action in the sensitive matter and announced the transfer of Raisen Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumar Pandey.
However, this failed to mollify people, who closed markets in Raisen city, Mandideep, Silwani, Gauharganj and other areas of the district on Wednesday to demand the rape accused’s arrest.
A large number of activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, along with other Hindu outfits, participated in these protests and raised slogans against the police administration.
Some protesters, including women and girls, carried placards with slogans such as “If you remain divided, you will be cut” and “Wake up Hindus.” A section of protesters chanted the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan and demanded the immediate arrest and hanging of the accused.
In Begamganj town, a bandh was observed on a call given by various organisations, including the Hindu Utsav Samiti, Muslim Festival Committee and Sakal Digambar Jain Samaj Samiti.
Hundreds of people from these communities took out a massive procession and shouted slogans as they marched to the tehsil office. The angry protesters then staged a sit-in on the Sagar-Bhopal road, disrupting vehicular traffic.
Senior officials, including the district collector, SP, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), and station house officers (SHOs) of respective area,s visited sensitive areas.
Raisen Additional SP Kharpuse stated that a heavy police force has been deployed at protest sites and efforts were being made by the administration to pacify demonstrators.
According to police, the accused, Salman, a resident of Sehore district, took the girl, who was playing in a neighbour’s house in a village under Gauharganj police station limits, to a nearby forest, where he raped her and fled.
The girl is undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Bhopal. State Congress president Jitu Patwari visited AIIMS and met with the victim’s family on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters later, he targeted the BJP government over the law and order situation and alleged that such crimes are occurring daily in the state, but the police administration has remained a mute spectator.
Patwari said if taking action against Superintendents of Police curbs crime, Chief Minister Yadav should remove all SPs.
“Such actions are meant only to mislead people. To prevent crimes, the police force must be strengthened with the recruitment of more personnel, and they should be provided with state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technology. However, the Mohan Yadav government has failed to take any of these measures,” the former minister alleged. PTI