Passerby’s quick thinking saves engineer’s fiancée from sexual assault in Madhya Pradesh

The couple had been lured into a forest, robbed and assaulted before an alert passerby dialled 112, triggering a swift police response.

3 min readBhopalAug 2, 2026 06:15 AM IST

Passerby’s quick thinking saves engineer’s fiancée, Passerby’s quick thinking saves engineer’s fiancée from sexual assault, sexual assault in Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Guna district, Indian express news, current affairs

A night-long operation saw police teams comb through forests, where the accused persons were believed to have fled, while investigators went through CCTV footage collected from roads, petrol pumps and nearby establishments.

A PASSERBY’S promptness in dialling 112 police patrol helped foil a sexual assault attempt on a woman who was returning from a temple with her fiancé on Friday night in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district.

The call not only forced the accused persons to flee the spot, but also led to the arrest of five of them in 24 hours following a district-wide manhunt, said the police.

The incident unfolded on the night of July 31 when the woman and her fiancé, an engineer, were on their way home from a temple. According to the police, three men on another bike approached the couple near a petrol pump on the highway and told them that one of the tyres of their motorbike was punctured.

When the engineer halted the bike to check the tyres, the three men called four more associates to the spot, said the police.

“They snatched the key of their bike and both the victims were taken into the adjoining forest,” said a senior police officer.

After reaching a secluded stretch, the accused persons assaulted the man and robbed the couple of their mobile phones, wallet and other belongings. They then allegedly attempted to sexually assault the woman.

It was at this moment that a passerby noticed suspicious activity on the roadside and dialled 112.

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“The Dial-112 police team reached the spot within minutes. Seeing the police vehicle, the accused fled into the forest,” the officer said.

The couple was rescued and the woman underwent medical examination.

“The moment information about the incident was received, separate police teams were constituted. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed immediately and the probe was monitored continuously at my level. Our priority was to identify and arrest every accused at the earliest,” said Guna Superintendent of Police Hitika Vasal.

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“Technical evidence, CCTV footage, intelligence gathered through the informer network and continuous field operations enabled us to establish the identities of the accused within hours; coordinated raids were launched simultaneously,” the officer said.

Officers searched villages, forest hideouts, houses of suspects and their relatives.

“Despite difficult terrain and challenging circumstances, police teams continued the operation relentlessly. Their coordinated effort resulted in the arrest of five accused within 24 hours,” officials said.

Those arrested have been identified as Bablu Banjara (23), Mahendra Banjara (20), Dinesh Banjara (28), all three from Borkheda village, Chhotu Banjara (28) from Khajra and Sardar alias Karam Singh Banjara (30) from Vinyaki. Two more are absconding.

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Police said the accused confessed their involvement in the incident during questioning.
“The mobile phone, wallet and other stolen articles of the couple were recovered,” said an investigator.

“Special police teams are conducting raids to apprehend the remaining accused,” the officer said.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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