Madhya Pradesh: Minor sisters dragged to jungle, gang-raped in Singrauli; survivors found unconscious

BHOPAL: Two minor sisters, aged 16 and 17 years, were abducted, dragged to the jungle, and gang-raped by three individuals in Singrauli district. Both minor survivors were found unconscious in the jungle by police and locals.The harrowing incident unfolded between 10.30pm on Sept 12 and 12.30am on Sept 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 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 Saturday. They were 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. Singrauli SP Manish Khatri said that all three accused were local residents and have been arrested and their interrogation is underway.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)