Ujjain rape horror: No arrests made in 15-year-old girl's rape case

A priest contacted the police after he found the girl bleeding and half-naked on the street; no arrest has been made so far

A 15-year-old girl was raped in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and was found bleeding on the streets by a priest named Rahul Sharma, who is associated with an ashram on Badnagar Road. Sharma discovered the girl and immediately contacted the police.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, as the priest was leaving the ashram, he noticed the girl, who was bleeding and partially clothed, near the gates. "I provided her with my clothes. She was unable to speak and her eyes were swollen. I dialled 100. When I was unable to reach the police via the helpline, I contacted Mahakal police station and informed them about the situation. Police arrived at the ashram approximately 20 minutes later," he said.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage captured the girl asking for help. In the video, a man is seen dismissing her as she approaches him.

Sharma added, "We inquired about her name and family. We assured her she was safe and encouraged her to share her family's contact details so we could notify them. However, she was extremely frightened."

The police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. A rape case has been registered, and provisions of the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been invoked.

To date, no arrests have been made. On Wednesday, the police questioned an auto-rickshaw driver after discovering blood stains in his vehicle, but no evidence linking him to the crime was found.

Sachin Sharma, Ujjain's police chief, noted that the girl had left her home, located 700 km away from Ujjain, on Sunday afternoon. "The journey from her home district to Ujjain takes about 12 hours. This incident was reported the following morning. After arriving in Ujjain, she had been wandering the streets," he stated.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued a notice to Ujjain Police regarding the rape incident. Priyank Kanoongo, the chairperson of NCPCR, said the most unfortunate aspect of the incident was that "for many hours, nobody stepped up to assist the minor."