In a shocking development, Madhya Pradesh police have arrested three suspects in connection with a violent assault on two junior Indian Army officers and the rape of their female friend near Mhow in the Indore district.
The arrested individuals include Anil Baror (27), Pawan Bansunia (23), and Ritesh Bhabhar (25). Baror and Bansunia were presented before a local court and remanded in police custody for five days. Bhabhar, who was apprehended late Thursday night, is accused of threatening the victims with a pistol during the attack. The other two suspects were armed with sticks.
The police have identified a total of six suspects involved in the assault that occurred early Wednesday morning near the Jam Gate tourist spot, approximately 30 km from the Mhow military cantonment. Authorities are actively searching for the remaining three suspects and have announced a reward of ₹10,000 for information leading to their arrest.
The incident has drawn criticism from political leaders, with Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi condemning the Bharatiya Janata Party’s handling of law and order in states under its governance.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hitika Vasal stated that Bhabhar threatened the Army officers and their female friends during the attack. The victims, who had been on a picnic, were assaulted when the suspects arrived at their location around 2 am. After hearing the commotion, the other officer and his female friend came to their aid.
Six people have been recognized in connection with the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the popular tourist destination Jam Gate, roughly 30 kilometers from the Mhow military cantonment, according to police.
“Several teams are on the lookout for the three absconding accused, and a reward of ₹10,000 has been announced for (information about) each of them,” the police officer said.
The Army officers, aged 23 and 24, who were taking the Young Officers course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town, had gone out for a picnic with two female friends.
According to authorities, the accused came to the picnic location about 2 a.m. and began attacking one of the officers and his female acquaintance, who were sitting in the car.
When the other officer and his woman acquaintance, who were on a hilltop, heard the disturbance, they went to the scene. Later, after police arrived, the Army officers and their female companions were sent to Mhow Civil Hospital.
The medical report revealed that one of the women had been raped. Based on the officer’s complaint, a case has been filed under sections 70 (gang rape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion), and 115-2 (voluntarily causing pain) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as parts of the Arms Act.
One officer voiced worry that one of the women was sexually attacked by the attackers, prompting the police to charge them with rape, among other offenses. In contrast, the lady – all four were sent for medical exams. The two Army officers are injured, but not severely. The victim, who is suspected of having been raped, exhibits injuries, including scratch marks. However, the medical examination did not clearly confirm rape or gang rape, according to a police official who requested anonymity.
“We cannot assume, even based on the medical report, that the woman was raped or gang raped until she says so. We have invoked the section to ensure that if she records a statement to that degree, these sections can come into effect,” said assistant superintendent of police Rupesh Dwivedi.
“The male army officer to suspect that the woman accompanying him was raped. But the woman has refused to record her statement. We have invoked sections of rape at the moment, but it will only come into effect if the woman says so,” he further stated.
According to Dwivedi, at least three of the six have a criminal history.
“She only tells us one thing: shoot the accused or shoot me. We understand that she is in shock. We are doing everything we can to apprehend the persons who did this,” a senior cop told The Sources, after attempting to persuade the woman to record her story several times.
“She does not feel comfortable registering her statement. We shall wait until she has recovered. We have arrested three people: Anil, Pawan, and Ritesh. Ritesh was acquitted of murder charges in 2019. The remaining three offenders will be nabbed shortly,” Hitika Vasal said.
Who is the accused?
According to police records, the three arrested guys have previously been involved in multiple incidents.
Anil was booked in 2016 at the Manpur police station with allegedly robbing a collection executive from a financial company. The person making the complaint said “four unidentified men on two motorcycles without number plates approached us and demanded my bag and belongings, threatening to kill me if I refused” .
On August 18, 2021, a police unit responding to a family dispute call was pelted with stones by a crowd of 50-60 people, and Anil was arrested.
Then, on July 1, 2024, he and eight people were accused for allegedly removing 285 poles and barbed wire from a fenced-off restricted forest region.
Additionally, on September 28, 2021, Pawan was booked in an excise case after police recovered illegal booze from him, according to reports.
