Mandsaur gang rape: Brutal attack, states medical report, protests rock MP

In a grim reminder of the 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi where a nursing student was sexually assaulted by six people onboard a private bus, a seven-year-old girl was abducted and brutally raped in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday.

Doctors treating the girl told local media that there were several bite marks on her body and her nose was badly injured.

“Her rectum was ruptured, indicating that an object had been inserted into her privates,” reported a Hindi daily published in the Capital.

Citing medical reports, local media claimed, “Doctors had to cut a small portion of her intestine to perform surgeries.” The condition of the girl is said to be stable but “she is too traumatised to talk” said a doctor treating her.

Pediatric surgeon Dr Brijesh Lahoti was quoted as saying that the girl was still in a critical condition as recovery process is extremely slow.

The girl had been admitted to MY Hospital in Indore following the brutal rape.

Based on the medical examination and CCTV footage, the police had booked a 20-year-old labourer from Mandsaur within 24 hours of the incident.

According to the police, the labourer had allegedly kidnapped the minor while she was waiting for her father after school on Tuesday. He then took her to a secluded place, where she was gang-raped. Following tips from the main accused, the police had arrested the second accused on Friday.

Mandsaur superintendent of police Manoj Singh said the accused was nabbed on the basis of CCTV footage that showed him taking the girl.

Demanding death penalty, thousands of protesters marched towards the police station where the accused were lodged on Thursday. Apart from Mandsaur, Piplya Mandi and neighbouring Neemuch district observed a total shut down. Some parts of Indore also observed a complete shut down on Friday.

Fearing more protests in coming days, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan swung in to action and supported death penalty for the accused.

He said rapists were a “burden on the earth” and do not deserve to live. He assured that the case would be handed over to a fast-track court. “If required, we will approach the high court and the Supreme Court,” he added.

However, the Opposition was not convinced and launched an attack on the Shivraj government.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to condemn the attack.

MPCC president Kamal Nath demanded that the girl be airlifted to a major hospital in Delhi or Mumbai for better treatment and the state government bear the expenses for the same.

The girl’s family also said it wanted her to be shifted to Bombay Hospital in Indore instead of MY Hospital where she is being treated at present.

This article was updated to change the headline