A 30-year-old man was allegedly thrashed, stripped and made to wear shoe garland for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl in a village in Mahidpur tehsil of Ujjain district on Tuesday evening, said police. He was also made to shave his head.
The victim was admitted in a hospital in Mahidpur and her condition was stated to be stable, the police said.
The accused, Vijay Bherulal, is a habitual offender and is facing two more sexual harassment cases. He came out on bail from jail a few weeks ago. He was arrested again by Mahidpur police after this rape charge against him under section 376 (rape) of IPC and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) and produced before the court on Wednesday, said Mangilal Chauhan, town inspector, Mahidpur.
Chauhan said, “The girl was going to a local grocery shop with his younger brother who is 9-year-old in her village on Tuesday evening. Bherulal lured the girl with a chocolate and asked her brother to go back home. The man took the girl to an agriculture field and raped her. Some villagers working in the field had seen him going with the girl. As he was already facing two sexual harassment cases some villagers doubted his intention. They looked for him and later caught him red-handed in the agriculture field.”
The villagers thrashed him and later, some youth of the village stripped him and shaved his head. He was made to wear a garland of shoes and paraded in the whole village before handing over to the police, said Chauhan.
Ujjain additional superintendent of police Rupesh Dwivedi said, “People can’t be allowed to take law in their hands. We are investigating the matter and further action will be taken against villagers after investigation.”
