2 minor sisters abducted, gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh forest; 3 men arrested

BHOPAL: Two minor siblings, aged 16 and 17 years, were abducted, dragged to the jungle, and gang-raped by three men in Singrauli district. Both the minor survivors were found unconscious in the jungle by police and locals.The harrowing incident unfolded between 10.30 pm on September 12 and 12.30 am on September 13 under Bargawan police station limits. The two sisters were on their way to their maternal aunt's village on a motorcycle, accompanied by a male relative, when they were accosted by the three accused in a jungle patch near Odgarhi.According to a police statement, the accused first thrashed the relative and forced him to flee the scene. They then dragged both minor girls into the dense forest, where they allegedly assaulted them and snatched their two mobile phones before escaping from the spot. The girls were left unconscious in the jungle.The relative, who managed to escape, immediately informed the local villagers about the attack. A large mob gathered, and police teams from the Bargawan police station were alerted. A search operation was launched, and the two unconscious girls were discovered around 1 am on September 13.

They were immediately rushed to a local hospital for medical treatment.Police recorded the statements of the victims on Saturday afternoon. Acting on the information provided, police teams were able to identify and apprehend the three accused by Saturday evening.Speaking to TOI, Singrauli SP Manish Khatri confirmed the arrests. "All three accused, identified as Rahul Saket, Rakesh Saket, and Vishwamitra Saket, all local residents, have been arrested," he said. "We have also recovered the motorcycle used in the crime. They snatched two cell phones; we have recovered one phone, and efforts to recover the other are ongoing. The accused are saying that they dropped one of the phones somewhere."The SP added that the accused were "rounded up and later arrested on Saturday night," and their interrogation is still underway. Charges have been filed under various sections of the law, including the POCSO Act and kidnapping.