In a distressing incident in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, a 17-year-old girl was reportedly raped by a youth she befriended on social media, accompanied by three of his friends inside a car. The incident took place on November 21, but a formal complaint was lodged four days later due to the victim's fear of threats from the accused.
The police, recognizing the victim as a Dalit, invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the case.
The victim had befriended a youth on Facebook last year, and on November 21, her male friend took her to a secluded forest area in a car. There, he, along with three friends, allegedly raped her and issued threats to keep her silent under the fear of harm.
The victim and her family eventually approached the Old Chhaoni police station to file a complaint. Additional Superintendent of Police Niranjan Sharma stated that a case has been registered under relevant sections, including 376 (Punishment for rape), 377 (unnatural act), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In a distressing twist to the case, sources within the police have reported that the victim claims one of the accused is closely related to a politician. The police are investigating the matter further as they work to bring the perpetrators to justice.
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