9-year-old allegedly raped by stepfather in MP

In yet another incident of sexual assault against minors, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her step-father in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior on Thursday.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the girl's mother at Bahodapur police station.

The police is investigating the matter and is searching for the accused, who is absconding.

With the ongoing Unnao and Kathua rape cases, the Indian social media has been abuzz with the words - "rape horror".

Earlier on April 8, a woman and her family tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow. Her family alleged that she was raped by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplice last year, and no action was taken against the accused.

On the other hand, an eight-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic Muslim tribe in Kathua district was allegedly abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January.

Among the accused in the case are police officers and a retired government official.

On Friday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders held a midnight candlelight vigil to demand strict action in Unnao and Kathua rape cases.

Stressing on the fact that the protest was not a political one but a national issue, Rahul urged the Centre to act against atrocities on women.