5-day manhunt ends in shootout, police nab accused in Madhya Pradesh rape case that triggered communal tensions

Subsequently, he was taken in a police vehicle to Raisen. It was during this trip on Thursday, police claimed, that the vehicle suffered a punctured tyre near Kiratnagar village in the Bhojpur area. Police alleged that at this time, the accused snatched the SI’s weapons and tried to flee. Salman was shot in the leg.

Raisen Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Gupta said, “While being moved to Raisen, the police vehicle developed a technical snag near Kiratnagar. Taking advantage of the halt, the accused suddenly snatched the pistol of the sub-inspector sitting beside him, fired at the police party, and tried to escape. In retaliatory firing, he sustained a bullet injury in the leg. He has been admitted to Jai Prakash Hospital in Bhopal for treatment.”

The rape case had triggered tensions in Raisen, and police personnel had to be deployed in large numbers.

According to the police, the minor girl was playing outside her house when Salman allegedly lured her with the promise of chocolates and took her to a nearby forest, where he allegedly raped her.

The child was found in a serious condition after her family launched a search, and locals reported seeing her with the accused.

Following the crime, police announced a Rs 30,000 reward, put up posters across the district, and deployed drones and over 300 personnel in the hunt.

However, the time taken in tracing the accused fuelled anger in the victim’s village, leading to tensions and the deployment of more than 500 police personnel to maintain law and order.

Tensions boiled over on Wednesday when a group of youths attempted to march towards a minority settlement. Police resorted to a mild lathi-charge, which triggered stone-pelting. Teargas shells were fired to disperse the crowd.

Taking serious note of the handling of the case and the law-and-order situation, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday night expressed strong displeasure with Raisen police. The district SP was attached to police headquarters, and the concerned station in-charge was removed from field duty.

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