Three individuals, including a BJP and a Janata Dal (United) representative, were arrested in Bhopal on Thursday for raping a 17-year-old girl, police said.
An FIR was registered against Manish Nayak, Dindori, BJP office in-charge, Dinesh Awadhiya, Janata Dal (United) Dindori district president and petrol pump owner Amit Soni under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (rape), 363 (abduction), 372 (selling minor for purpose of prostitution) and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, police said.
Bhopal south superintendent of police, Sai Krishna Hota, said, “On August 19, the girl, a resident of Haryana filed a complaint at Ashoka Garden police station that she met a woman in a bus. The woman brought her to Bhopal on the pretext of providing a job. Later, the woman tried to push her into the flesh trade. Three men raped her in a flat and in a hotel between August 13 and 19.”
The victim managed to escape on August 19 and narrated her ordeal to the police at Ashoka Garden police station in Bhopal, following which the accused were arrested, Ashoka Garden police station in-charge Alok Shrivastava said. The girl had disappeared from her home in Palwal in Haryana last month and had somehow reached Bhopal, the official added.
“During the investigation, the police identified three people with the help of CCTV footages and entry in a hotel register. The accused came to Bhopal from Dindori and raped the girl,” the SP said.
The SP said the three were arrested from Dindori by Bhopal police.
On August 20, the police arrested two women Parula Rathod and Seema, and a man Saif Khan. So far, six people have been arrested in the case. Police are investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, the BJP has cancelled the primary membership of Nayak. BJP media in-charge Lokendra Parashar said, “We can’t allow any indiscipline and criminal person as a member of the party. He was removed immediately from the party.”
Despite repeated attempts, no state JD(U) leaders could be reached for comment.
Opposition Congress attacked the BJP after the arrest of Nayak. The state Congress Committee spokesperson KK Mishra said, “This is the character of BJP and that’s why MP has became rape capital. The matter should be probed thoroughly as more BJP leaders were staying with Nayak in the hotel.”
