In Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, a 12-year-old (some news say 15 year old) girl in a semi-naked state and bleeding after rape was seeing roaming on the streets and going door to door asking for help. CCTV footage showed one man was seen shooing her away as she approached him for help. While there were some others who gave her some money. CCTV footage from various areas of Ujjain showed her roaming on the streets for about 2 to 2.5 hours. The girl eventually reached Dandi Ashram where she found help. The manager of the ashram, Rahul Sharma said, “I was leaving the gurukul for a meeting when I saw a girl standing close to the Ashram gate. She was bleeding, was half-naked and her eyes were swollen. She seemed scared and tried to move away.” “I first gave her a cloth to cover herself and assured her that she had nothing to fear. I then enquired what had happened but she spoke in a language that I did not understand. I also gave her a pen and paper but she could not write anything either. We gave her food and then took her to private hospital where medical examination confirmed she was raped.” Doctors at the Ujjain hospital who attended to the minor said it appeared as though she was raped 24-36 hours before she was admitted to the hospital. As the injuries were serious, the girl was rushed to Indore. When she needed blood, police personnel came forward. Her condition is now learnt to be stable. Initially, when a senior police officer asked the girl her name and her address, she could not answer coherently (consistently). The police said that the girl was not able to tell exactly where she was from. But her accent suggested that she is from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Later when the FIR  was registered, it mentioned her name and her father's name. The girl is from a district in Madhya Pradesh which is 700 km away from Ujjain, where she was found. She is a Class VIII student and stays with her grandfather and elder brother. She had gone missing on 24th September 2023 and her family had registered a missing complaint. Ujjain Police Chief Sachin Sharma said, “She left for Ujjain on the 24th September afternoon. The travel time from her home district to Ujjain is about 12 hours.” He added, “CCTV footage that has emerged during the police probe shows the girl walking in Ujjain. She is dressed in a school uniform. In one set of footage, timed at 3 am, she appears to be in school uniform. But hours later, she is spotted by CCTVs semi-naked and bleeding, suggesting that the crime happened early on 25th September morning.” Police have registered a case of rape against unidentified accused. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been added. Sharma said, “We suspected a 40-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Ujjain. In the CCtv footage, the auto driver was seen interacting with the girl. When police seized his auto, blood stains were found on the passenger seat. He is being questioned.” Sharma added, "The medical examination has confirmed rape. We have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and are closely following this. We appeal to the people to inform the police if they get any information," Visuals of the girl going door-to-door seeking help but no one helped her has sparked massive outrage. Police officer Sharma, however, said it is not true that no one helped her. People gave her money as she had Rs 120 with her. The horrifying incident has yet again brought under the spotlight Madhya Pradesh's record on violence against women. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have reported the highest number of cases of disappearance of women and girls between 2019 and 2021. As per National Crime Records Bureau data, Madhya Pradesh reported most incidents of rapes in the country in 2021- 6,462. The number translates to 18 rapes per day. Out of 6462, more than 50 per cent were crimes against minors. The incident also triggered a political row as theCongress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state of being incapable of protecting the dignity of women and girls.

Tags

• ujjain
• girl raped
• madhya pradesh

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