A disturbing incident of rape in broad daylight on a busy footpath in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, has sent shockwaves across India. The victim, a scrap collector, was lured under the pretense of marriage, drugged, and raped by the accused, Lokesh. The horrifying ordeal was filmed by bystanders who chose to document the assault instead of intervening, further compounding the tragedy.
The video of the attack quickly went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and condemnation. The incident has also taken a political turn, with the Congress and BJP engaging in a bitter war of words over the case.
The Congress has accused the BJP government of failing to maintain law and order, pointing to the incident as evidence of a ‘Jungle Raj’ in Madhya Pradesh. State Congress President Jitu Patwari highlighted the silence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the matter.
The BJP, in turn, countered the allegations, emphasizing the swift action taken by the government. BJP MP VD Sharma defended the government’s record on tackling crime, highlighting the introduction of a law for the death penalty for such crimes. He also pointed out the immediate arrest of the accused and assured the public that strict action would be taken against him.
Following the incident, the victim filed an FIR at the Kotwali police station. The accused, Lokesh, was apprehended within hours and is now in police custody. The Ujjain police are also investigating the individuals who filmed the rape and shared it online.
The incident comes at a time of heightened sensitivity surrounding violence against women in India, following the recent rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor. The Ujjain incident has once again brought to the forefront the urgent need for a systemic shift in attitudes towards women’s safety and the importance of bystander intervention in preventing such crimes.
