Main suspect in Bhopal rape tries to snatch pistol, gets shot in the leg: Police

stop the vehicle, DCP Zone-1 Priyanka Shukla said.

“Then he tried to snatch the sub-inspector’s pistol and the pistol fired and Farhan got shot in the leg. He has been admitted to the hospital and further investigation is underway,” she said.

This comes days after multiple college students — including a minor — levelled rape, blackmail and sexual assault allegations against some men. According to the police, five victims have come forward and FIRs were lodged in different police stations of Bhopal, leading to the arrest of five of six suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, the rape and blackmail allegations have also become a political issue, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav saying his government will not tolerate “jihad or love jihad” in the state.

Soon after Saturday’s incident, state  Sports and Youth Affairs Vishwas Sarang waded into the row, saying, “He should have been shot in the chest. People like them are a burden on the planet and don’t have the right to live. People who indulge in love jihad have no right to live in this country and state.”

Following the allegations, the Bhopal Police have formed an SIT. According to police sources, the main suspect, Farhan Khan, alias Faraz, owns a restaurant near the engineering college. Most of the suspects, including Farhan, and the victims are believed to have studied together at the college.

The suspects, who have been accused of “having hidden their religious identities” and trapped the women, have been booked on charges of rape, blackmail, intimidation as well as under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The sixth suspect, identified as Abrar Khan and said to be a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, is still absconding, police said.