Minor girls, rescued from Bhopal hotel, allege rape, conversion bid

Bhopal: In a disturbing incident, two minor girls, both aged 16, were rescued by Bhopal’s Bagh Sewania police from a hotel in Saket Nagar on Wednesday.After counselling the minors, police registered two separate cases, including one on charges of rape and forced religious conversion under BNS, POCSO Act and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, against a youth. Another youth accompanying him was booked for molestation under BNS and POCSO Act.The police received information that the minor girls, along with two youths, had checked into the hotel using a forged identity document, on Wednesday morning.Acting on this piece of information, Bag Sewania police rescued the girls, while both youths were nabbed.While being counselled, one of the girls informed police that she got acquainted with a 23-year-old youth and his friend two months ago. The 23-year-old called her up on Tuesday night, asking her to come along for an outing with them, she alleged, adding that around 9 pm, she reached her place and forced her to accompany him.He took her to a cafe, asking her to call her minor friend, the police said.They picked up her minor friend and returned to the cafe where they met the other youth. The youths allegedly forced the girls to sip beer, the police said, adding that they stayed at the cafe till 4 am. Thereafter, one of the youths left.The three then went to a dhaba where they had food. Around 6am, the 23-year-old, along with a third youth, took the girls for tea at Rani Kamlapati railway station before checking into the hotel in Saket Nagar.According to the girls, the 23-year-old talked to the hotel manager and booked two rooms. The hotel staff did not ask to check the girl’s identification documents.It was alleged that once inside the room, one of the youths started molesting a minor. The girl alleged that when she asked the youth’s friend to stop him, he casually asked her to allow his friend to do what he was doing.The 23-year-old then took the other minor girl to an adjacent room, where he raped her, the police alleged.The other girl later told police that the 23-year-old’s friend had twice raped her previously at a hotel in Ashoka Garden, while also forcing her to convert. The former, too, pressured her to convert whenever they met, she alleged.Bag Sewania SHO Amit Soni said two FIRs were registered on charges of rape and forcing religious conversion while the third youth was booked for molestation.