Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh): A 16-year-old village girl was allegedly raped in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district on the pretext of traditional ‘jhaad-phoonk,’ as reported by police on Wednesday.
According to the police, the matter pertains to Gwalior’s Karriyawati village. Bhitarwar police have registered a case under sections of rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the accused.
He was identified as Pawan Sharma, a resident of Sammoa village in Karera. The accused is known to be an occult practitioner.
As the victim was experiencing severe stomach pain, her mother approached the accused, acting on advice from her sister.
Sharma reportedly spoke to the girl over the phone and later asked her and her brother to meet him in Karriyawati.
Here, Sharma allegedly called the girl to a hut in an isolated agricultural field, sent her brother away, and raped her after issuing threats. He also warned her against telling anyone.
Accused threatened victim’s family also
Days later, the survivor informed her mother, following which a local meeting was held at Hanuman Mandir in Shivpuri. During the gathering, Sharma and one of his relatives allegedly threatened the family also.
The family initially approached Karera police and were later directed to Bhitarwar police station, where an FIR was lodged late on Tuesday night. Bhitarwar SDOP Jitendra Nagaich confirmed that a case has been registered and the accused will be arrested soon.
The police have launched an investigation and assured the family of legal action.
