Ujjain shocker: 12-yr-old seeks help after rape, turned away

Bhopal: A 12-year-old girl, partially clothed, who was injured after allegedly being raped, went door to door for help for hours earlier this week but was seemingly refused any assistance and even shooed away by a local resident in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain city, police said on Wednesday, as CCTV footage of the heart-wrenching incident went viral and triggered political outrage.

The minor, police added, was ultimately rescued by a local ashram official who took her to a private hospital and where a medical examination confirmed she was raped.

According to state home minister Narottam Mishra, a suspect in the crime was detained and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed for a thorough investigation. According to superintendent of police Sachin Sharma, the suspect is a 40-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Ujjain. In the CCtv footages, the auto driver was seen interacting with the girl. When police seized his auto, blood stains were found on passenger seat, said the SP.

Police said the minor, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, is out of danger and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Indore.

“The girl, aged around 12 years, was found bleeding on Badnagar road under Mahakal police station area in Ujjain on Monday. The administrator of Dandi Ashram Rahul Sharma in the area rescued her and took her to a private hospital where an initial medical examination confirmed that she was raped. The ashram official informed the police,” Ujjain superintendent of police (SP) Sachin Sharma said.

“The girl was in a critical condition and was subsequently referred to a government hospital in Indore. She is unable to talk properly and provide any details but a language expert said she might belong to Prayagraj,” he added.

Doctors at the Ujjain hospital who attended to the minor said it appeared as though she was raped 24-36 hours before she was admitted to the hospital and had to be operated due to grievous injuries in her private parts, the officer said.

The doctor at the private hospital Dr Sumitra Yadav said, “The condition of the girl is stable after surgery, but she is not sharing anything...”

CCTV footage of the areas where the girl was spotted wandering for help suggested she walked for eight kilometres before being rescued, the SP said. At one point, she was seen being shooed away by a man after she went to his house for help. She was also seen talking to a woman, seemingly seeking assistance, but in vain, he added.

However, a police officer, who did not wish to be identified, said when questioned, both the man and woman who reportedly refused help said they could not understand the minor’s language.

A case has been registered at Mahakal police station against unidentified people under section 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (Pocso) Act, the SP said. An SIT has also been formed to probe the matter, he added.

Mishra also told reporters in Indore that an SIT has been constituted and a suspect has been detained and is being interrogated. He said the treatment of the rape survivor is underway and she is out of danger. “The girl seems to be from some area outside Ujjain. Since she is not able to respond properly (regarding the incident), efforts are being made to talk to her with the help of experts and counsellors,” he said.

The incident triggered a political row as the Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state of being incapable of protecting the dignity of women and girls.

“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji is travelling from place to place showing the dream of women’s reservation and trying to garner applause. The reality is that a very painful incident of brutality has come to light against a 12-year-old minor from BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh,” Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“If Modiji and his chief minister Shivraj Singhji get some time off election campaigning, they will probably be able to hear the screams of the women of Madhya Pradesh,” he added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the horrific crime is “an assault on the soul of Bharat Mata”. “There is no justice, no law and order and no rights – today, the entire country is ashamed of the condition of the daughters of Madhya Pradesh. But the chief minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country have no shame at all - they have suppressed the screams of their daughters amidst election speeches, hollow promises and false slogans,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath demanded a financial assistance of ₹1 crore for the survivor and stringent punishment for the accused.

“It is heart-wrenching to see the case of extremely cruel rape of a little girl in Ujjain. The kind of heinous crime committed against the 12-year-old daughter and the way she ran around in many areas of the city in a semi-nude condition and before falling unconscious on the road, puts humanity to shame,” Nath said on X.

Mishra, however, dismissed the Congress’s criticisms. “Will you need a certificate from the Congress?” he said.

The Trinamool Congress said although the issue of women empowerment finds special mention in speeches by leaders of the BJP, cases of violence against women continue to haunt the country. “While ‘Nari Shakti’ finds a special mention in PM @narendramodi’s speeches, the reality shows how spine-chilling cases of VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN continue to haunt our country. CM @ChouhanShivraj’s INABILITY to secure the lives of our women speaks volumes about his priorities!” the party posted on X.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights president Priyank Kanoongo said, “The incident has come to my knowledge...We are writing to DM regarding the condition of this girl and are asking for her medical report. We have also written to the SP and have asked for a copy of the FIR, a copy of the girl’s statement and details of the incident from the SP.”