A horrifying incident unfolded in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district, where a picnic outing for two Indian Army officers and their female companions turned into a nightmare. The officers, both aged 23 and 24, were enjoying a picnic on Tuesday with their friends. However, their peaceful outing took a sinister turn in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to Badgonda police station in-charge Lokendra Singh Hirore, the officers were undergoing the Young Officers (YO) course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment town. While the officers were at the picnic spot near Mhow-Mandleshwar road, seven unidentified men arrived around 2 am. They brutally assaulted one of the officers, who was sitting in a car, and held the two female companions hostage at gunpoint.
The complaint filed by one of the officers revealed that the assailants forced the woman officer and her companion into the car. The second officer and her friend were on a hilltop when they heard the cries for help. They immediately rushed to the scene and alerted their superiors.
Police were swiftly informed about the horrific incident and arrived at the location. However, the attackers fled the scene before the police could apprehend them. All four victims were taken to Mhow Civil Hospital for medical examination around 6.30 am. Medical reports confirmed the sexual assault of one of the women and documented the injuries sustained by the officers.
Indore Rural SP Hitika Vasal promptly registered a case against the assailants under sections 70 (gangrape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion), and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections of the Arms Act.
A massive manhunt was launched, with personnel from four police stations combing the area. Police have identified six of the seven suspects, who had demanded a ransom of ₹ 10 lakh. Two suspects have been apprehended, with one of them having a previous case of loot registered against him in 2016.
The incident has shaken the community, highlighting the urgent need for increased security measures and a strong response to such heinous crimes. Police investigations are ongoing, and authorities are determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.
