A chilling gang-rape case has jolted Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district, where a college student was brutally assaulted by four assailants, including a minor, while returning home from Rajendragram College.

The attack, which occurred in broad daylight on March 22, has ignited widespread outrage and raised serious questions about safety and law enforcement in the region, located approximately 600 kilometers east of the state capital, Bhopal.

The incident took place around 6 pm as the young woman, having alighted from an autorickshaw near Cheerband Gate, was walking along a kacha rasta toward a small settlement. According to Rajendragram police station in-charge Virendra Kumar Barkade, the perpetrators were lying in wait, ambushed her, dragged her to a secluded spot, and committed the heinous crime.

“As soon as we were alerted to this appalling act, we deployed all available resources to deliver justice swiftly,” Barkade stated.

Police acted promptly, arresting all four suspects. Following medical examinations, the three adult accused were produced in court on Saturday and remanded to Anuppur district jail, while the minor was sent to a Child Protection Home in Rewa.

A case has been registered under Sections 87, 70(1), and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), reflecting the severity of the offense.

The assault has sent shockwaves through the community, with locals and activists decrying the brazen nature of the crime and its occurrence in daylight. The incident underscores a disturbing trend of violence against women in Madhya Pradesh, amplifying calls for stricter measures to ensure public safety.

Authorities have vowed to pursue the case relentlessly, but for many, it serves as a grim reminder of the challenges still facing the state in curbing such atrocities.