Bhandara (Maharashtra): In another shocker, a woman was brutally gang-raped in Maharashtra's Bhandara, sparking a political war between the ruling Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis regime and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. Following an uproar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a woman IPS officer to probe the case, which he termed "a serious and gruesome incident".
Till now, police have arrested two accused in this case and they have been identified as Amit Sarve and Mohammad Ansari. They have been sent to police remand till August 8. According to the police, the victim, aged around 35, was sexually assaulted between July 30 and August 2 near Kanhadmoh village under the Kardha police station in the Bhandara district.
Later, she was dumped by the assailants near the highway where some villagers noticed her, naked and bleeding profusely from serious injuries, and alerted the police. The police rushed her first to a local hospital in Bhandara but as her wounds were deep, she was shifted to the Nagpur government hospital where she has undergone surgery. However, her condition is still critical.
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The Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women, Rupali, took serious cognizance of the incident, while other leaders compared it to the decade-old Nirbhaya incident in Delhi. As per the preliminary probe, at least three persons were involved in the crime of which two have been traced and picked up for questioning, details of which are not immediately available.
“A 35-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three men and was later thrown on the roadside in Bhandara district. Police received the information of a lady lying naked near a bridge. She was taken to the hospital for treatment. Later, the victim was referred to Nagpur Medical College for further treatment. Her statements were recorded and the probe has been transferred to Gondia police,” informed Rajesh Thorat, inspector of Kardha Police Station to a news agency
The Bhandara Police are scouring the CCTV footage on the Bhandara-Gondiya highway besides launching a manhunt for one more accused. They are searching in the district as well as in adjoining areas.
(With agency inputs)
