Those who did not help a 15-year-old girl in Ujjain – who was raped and left half-naked and bleeding, and went door-to-door begging for help – may face charges under child sex abuse laws, said a senior Madhya Pradesh police officer. They could be liable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for “failing to report or register the commission” of a crime.
An auto-rickshaw driver named Rakesh Malviya has been identified as one such individual who knowingly did not inform the police about the girl’s condition. The police found blood stains on the seat of his vehicle, indicating that he had transported the young girl but failed to report the incident.
The question now is whether others who refused to help her will also face police action. Will they be held accountable for disregarding a young girl in distress?
CCTV footage previously revealed a man shooing the bleeding girl away, while others in the area displayed similar heartlessness. However, Ujjain’s top cop Sachin Sharma disagreed with the statement that no one helped her. According to Sharma, the video and questioning of people in the area confirmed that at least eight people had given her money, and even staff at a toll booth provided her with money and clothes. Nevertheless, none of these individuals took her in or notified the police until she encountered a priest who protected her and contacted the authorities.
Fortunately, there were still some individuals willing to help the young girl. Apart from the priest, two policemen donated blood, and another expressed a desire to sponsor her education and healthcare.
The father of the main accused in the rape case, Bharat Soni, has stated that his son must be punished and suggested that death penalty would be appropriate. The main accused is also an auto-rickshaw driver who was apprehended after an extensive investigation involving the examination of nearly 700 CCTV feeds. However, during his capture, he attempted to escape, resulting in a physical altercation with two police officers.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has promised severe punishment for the accused and vowed to take care of the victim, referring to her as the “daughter of Madhya Pradesh.”
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