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A 30-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district was arrested for allegedly raping at least seven girls, whom he lured by using a voice-changing app and posing as a woman professor. He used to call them to talk about scholarship funds.
The accused, a former mill worker, was identified as Brajesh Prajapati. Illiteracy did certainly not stop him from using technology to commit such horrendous crimes.
Notably, most of the girls were tribal college students.
Police said that Brajesh used a voice-changing app to sound like a woman while talking to his potential victims on the phone. He posed as a woman college professor from an institution in Tikari and asked them to meet 'her' in order to get scholarship.
He would tell the girls that 'her' son would take them to her house. One of the complainants said that Brajesh himself, wearing helmet and hand gloves, picked her up on a motorcycle and took her to a deserted place, where he allegedly raped her.
Rewa Range Inspector General (IG) Mahendra Singh Sikarwar said that three associates of Brajesh -- Lavkush, Rahul and Sandeep Prajapati -- were also arrested. Cops recovered as many as 16 mobile phone from them. However, their exact roles in the crime is yet to be ascertained.
The IG said one of Brajesh's associates was a college student and used to get girls' numbers from a college WhatsApp group.
During investigation, police had learnt that the accused had burn marks and injuries on his hands. This finally led to his capture.
Brajesh confessed to raping the seven girls. IG Sikawar said that four girls have come forward to lodge complaints.
The first case of rape, kidnapping, assault and robbery was registered on May 16 following an incident on May 13. Two more cases were registered on May 18 and May 23 over crimes that had taken place on May 4 and May 20, respectively.
Then, another FIR was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on May 19 over a crime that had taken place on April 15, police officials said.
Notably, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the case.
Following the directives, IG Sikarwar constituted a nine-member SIT headed by Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) of Kusmi, Roshni Singh Thakur. The team will submit its report in seven days, officials said.
Meanwhile, Brajesh's house at Panwar village in Sidhi was demolished after his arrest. The house was built on government land without permission, a district official said.
CM Yadav, taking to X, had said, "Those who commit such condemnable acts are enemies of society, strictest action will be taken against the accused. They will not be spared at any cost."
Congress leader and former chief minister Kamal Nath also demanded a high-level inquiry into the case.
"Can't girls from the tribal community in Madhya Pradesh even study in college without fear?....what is the meaning of the slogan - Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao?" the former chief minister asked on X, noting that Madhya Pradesh led in the country in terms of crimes against tribals and women.
"The Chief Minister should form a special task force for the protection of tribal girls in the state so that the girls of the tribal community can join the mainstream of society and build their future," the senior Congress leader added.
(With PTI inputs)
