MP: Woman picnicking with husband gang-raped in Rewa; 7 detained
Rewa (MP), Oct 25: A newly married woman on an outing with her husband was allegedly raped by five men in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, and seven persons were detained on Friday in connection with the attack, police said.
According to the police, the alleged incident occurred on Monday at a picnic spot in Gurh tehsil.
The Congress trained its gun on the BJP government, alleging that a "jungle raj" prevailed in the state.
Talking to PTI, Rewa Superintendent of Police Vivek Singh said, "We have detained seven persons, including the suspects who allegedly raped the woman. We are on the lookout for one more person."
He said the probe is underway, and the accused will be arrested after following due procedure.
The victim got married recently. The couple are in the age group of 19-20 and still in college, Rewa headquarters Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Himali Pathak told PTI.
The woman told the police that one of the five persons who allegedly sexually assaulted her has tattoos on his hand and chest.
Terming the case as "sensitive", the official said the police are treading carefully to ensure that the survivor's identity is not disclosed.
She said the couple approached the Gurh police station around 1.30 pm on Tuesday.
"The FSL staff (forensic science laboratory) and I rushed to the spot. The medical test of the survivor was conducted, and an FIR was registered the same day at 7 pm," the DSP said.
The official said that according to the woman's version of events, she and her husband had a fight near a fountain, about 2 km from a famous temple in the Gurh industrial area.
The woman, in her statement, alleged that five men took turns to rape her near the fountain, some 20 km from the district headquarters, she said.
SP Singh said the accused held the victim's husband hostage far away from where the assault occurred.
The DSP said the accused had also recorded a video of the act.
Meanwhile, MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari alleged that the victim's husband was tied and she was raped in front of him.
"The incident did not come into the public domain for two days. Is this not the jungle raj? The state home department has collapsed," Patwari told reporters.
The home department should be renamed as the "jungle raj department", he said, claiming that crimes were the highest in Madhya Pradesh and 18 to 20 girls were raped in the state daily.
मध्य प्रदेश में मुख्यमंत्री जी को एक नया विभाग बना देना चाहिए, ‘जंगलराज विभाग’। pic.twitter.com/RYxk9c0Ymn
— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) October 25, 2024
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
