MP forest horror: Woman gang-raped after accused assault male friend and chased him away; two arrested

BHOPAL: In a harrowing incident, a young woman was allegedly gang-raped by two men in a forested area in Sagar district, police said on Saturday, adding that the accused assaulted and chased away her male companion before taking turns to rape her.The incident took place on January 20 when the survivor, in her early 20s, went to the forest area with a friend. Police said the 2 accused, identified as Ranu alias Jaigopal Gaur (27) and Sundar Bhagwan Das (26), spotted the couple and intercepted them.According to police, the accused first overpowered the woman's companion, assaulted him and forced him to flee, after which they took the survivor deeper into the forest and raped her one after the other.

The woman later managed to reach a nearby road and raised an alarm, following which locals alerted the police.Speaking to TOI, the local police station in charge said, "The survivor went to the forested area with her friend when the 2 accused saw them. The accused are residents of a small habitation near the forests. They apprehended the survivor and her companion, slapped and overpowered the male friend, sent him away, and took turns to raping the woman.

The incident took place on January 20 and a case was registered on the same night. The accused were arrested and produced before court on Friday."The police launched a manhunt for the accused after the case was registered and subsequently nabbed both. A case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS, and further investigation was underway. Officials said the survivor was medically examined and her statement recorded as per procedure.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)