17-year-old gangraped in MP’s Pachmarhi; 3 arrested: Police

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Three people were arrested on Monday in connection with alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Pachmarhi, police said. Police identified the accused as Hariom, Gypsy driver, and two hotel staff Pawan Bansal and Abhishek Vanshkar. (HT File Photo)Police identified the accused as Hariom, Gypsy driver, and two hotel staff Pawan Bansal and Abhishek Vanshkar. According to police, the incident occurred on August 19, but the survivor lodged a complaint on Sunday night. Narmadapuram additional superintendent of police Abhishek Rajan said, “The victim, a school student in Pachmarhi, was standing at the bus stand with a friend on August 19 afternoon. The accused offered them a lift in a Gypsy and took them to a forest near the South Scout Guide Centre.” According to police, the accused gangraped her and her friend to the vehicle when he resisted. Also Read:Mumbai man poses as transgender person, ‘rapes’ woman on pretext of ritual to ‘bless’ her with a child “After the rape, they dropped both students back at the bus stand and threatened them with death if they revealed the incident. The girl stopped attending school, and her health deteriorated. Her sister noticed unusual behaviour and after counselling, learned of the ordeal. The family then approached the police late Sunday night,” said the ASP. A medical examination of the survivor has been conducted, police said. Police said that the accused confessed to the crime during interrogation. They have been booked under sections 70(2) (gang rape), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More