Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 28 : Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Saturday asserted that strict punishment must be given to the accused in the alleged rape case of a 6-year-old girl in Goharganj after the officials arrested him.
"Strict punishment should be given to the arrested accused in the case..." he said.
The victim was found in a nearby forest area and immediately taken to the Obaidullaganj Hospital, where the doctors confirmed rape. She was then referred to Bhopal AIIMS for further treatment.
Meanwhile, the accused, namely Salman, was nabbed by the police in the rape case of the girl with the support and cooperation of the locals in Bhopal's Gandhinagar area, according to a senior police official.
The accused reached Bhopal's Gandhinagar area and was looking for a rental home. The local people grew alarmed when they learned he had no ID card, after which the youth and locals of Gandhinagar apprehended him and handed him over to the police.
A local, Abdul Rizwan, told ANI, "Youths in our area were alert and active. They learned that a man is searching for a house to rent and has no ID card. His face also matches the picture of the accused in the Raisen rape case. They sent me his photo, and I spoke with the police to verify it. The police asked me to keep him with us. After that, the police came, and we handed him over to the police."
He further added that all the locals in the Gandhinagar area demand that the accused be awarded the death penalty and that the minor receive justice.
Meanwhile, the police stated that when the accused was being taken to Raisen, their vehicle got punctured in the Kiratnagar village area near Bhojpur. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused tried to flee by snatching a pistol from an official and firing at the police. In retaliation, the accused was shot in the leg and admitted to Hamidia Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
Sub Inspector Sunil Singh told ANI, "The accused, Salman, was being taken to Raisen when the vehicle transporting him got punctured. He had to be shifted to another vehicle. During this process, the accused snatched a pistol from an official and attempted to fire at the police. In the crossfire, the accused was shot in the leg, and one police official was also injured. The incident occurred between 3 and 3.30 am."
Inspector Vijay Tripathi, who shot at the accused, injuring him, told ANI, "The accused snatched the pistol of the police official, and in retaliatory firing, the accused got injured. The accused also attempted to fire at police, and we fired four bullets and one of which hit the accused in the leg."
According to the police, the rape incident occurred on November 21 under the jurisdiction of Goharganj police station, where the minor was playing outside her home. The accused, identified as Salman, lured her with chocolates, took her to the forest and raped her.