An auto-rickshaw driver was detained on Thursday for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, whose horrifying visuals seeking help on the streets of Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain in a semi-naked and bleeding condition went viral on social media and sparked nationwide outrage. On Wednesday, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the rape case.
Bharat Soni, the accused, tried to escape police while being taken to the spot for recreating the crime scene but was chased down by the cops, said Mahakal police station in-charge Ajay Verma. Two police personnel were also injured in the incident that took place.
The girl, whose parents had lodged a missing persons report, was found on Monday still in her school uniform. She went door-to-door for help but found none. A case was registered at the Mahakal police station and an investigation into the incident is underway, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Sharma had said.
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Following her medical examination, the police confirmed that she had been raped. She is currently undergoing further medical treatment in Indore.
It is unclear where the girl is from. While some reports citing police officials suggest she is from Uttar Pradesh, others stated that her home is about 700 kilometres from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
Her identity is yet to be established as she was not able to tell her name and address to the police properly, an official told PTI.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath demanded that the victim be given financial assistance of Rs 1 crore and that the accused in the case be given the strictest possible punishment.
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"It is heart-wrenching to see the case of extremely cruel rape of a little girl in Ujjain. The kind of heinous crime committed against the 12-year-old daughter and the way she ran around in many areas of the city in a semi-nude condition and before falling unconscious on the road, puts humanity to shame," Nath said on his official X account on Wednesday.
The Congress leader said that the rule of law has ended in Madhya Pradesh and criminals are roaming free while the people are in trouble.
