Dalit Woman Gang-Raped In Madhya Pradesh Forest, Male Friend Restrained

In a horrific incident that once again exposes the brutal violence Dalit women face in Madhya Pradesh, a young Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped in Sidhi district's Churhat forest after being attacked by a group of five men. The woman had ventured into the forest with her male friend for a walk and to click photographs, unaware that the excursion would turn into a life-altering nightmare. As the two walked through the forested path, they were ambushed by five men. The attackers struck the man on the head with a stick, and dragged the woman deeper into the woods.

What followed was an act of unspeakable cruelty. The woman told authorities that she pleaded for mercy, even held the feet of the accused, but they showed no remorse. While two of the men restrained her friend, the remaining three took turns sexually assaulting her. The ordeal ended with a chilling threat if they dared to speak about the incident, both would be killed. The attackers also snatched their mobile phones before fleeing into the dense forest.

Shattered and crying, the woman stumbled out of the forest around 2:30 pm and managed to reach a nearby village construction site where she narrated her ordeal to workers. She was then taken to Dalbir Singh Gond, husband of the local sarpanch, and with his help, the police were alerted. A police team soon reached the spot, and signs of the assault including a blood-stained towel and struggle marks were found inside the forest. Throughout the night, police teams combed through nearby villages in search of the suspects.

A senior police official from the district termed the incident "heinous" and said that the immediate priority was the woman's medical treatment. While the remoteness of the area and lack of CCTV coverage have delayed progress, he assured that the perpetrators would be caught and punished with the severest legal provisions. Police have detained a few individuals for questioning, but arrests are still awaited.

This barbaric incident comes at a time when the Madhya Pradesh government, in response to a question in the state assembly by Congress MLA Arif Masood, revealed chilling statistics on crimes against women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Between 2022 and 2024, 7,418 rape cases were registered against Dalit and Adivasi women in the state an average of seven such rapes every single day. During the same period, 338 gang-rapes and 558 murders of SC/ST women were reported. Dalits and Adivasis form nearly 38% of the state's population.