A 30-year-old man has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district for reportedly raping at least seven girls impersonating a woman college teacher and luring them with promises of scholarship funds, news agency PTI reported citing officials on Saturday.
The accused, Brajesh Prajapati, utilised a voice-changing application to masquerade as a female while conversing with his potential victims over the phone, as per the report. Most of the victims hail from tribal communities.
Following the arrest, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav sanctioned a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the matter. Furthermore, Prajapati's unauthorised dwelling was demolished.
"Three accomplices of Prajapati have also been apprehended," Rewa Range Inspector General (IG) Mahendra Singh Sikarwar told PTI.
Describing the modus operandi, a police official stated that Prajapati would contact girl students while posing as a woman college teacher from a local institution at Tikari. He would lure them under the pretext of assisting them with scholarship applications, stating that "her son" would escort them to her residence.
Post the assault, he would confiscate the victims' mobile phones. According to the PTI report, Prajapati, wearing protective gear, would transport them to secluded areas on his motorcycle and allegedly commit the rape.
During the investigation, authorities noted burn marks and injuries on Prajapati's hands, ultimately leading to his arrest. While he admitted to assaulting seven girls, four have lodged complaints, according to PTI report.
The report further stated the involvement of Prajapati associates Lavkush Prajapati, Rahul Prajapati, and Sandeep Prajapati. Police recovered 16 mobile phones from them, as per the report. One of them, a college student, purportedly sourced contact details of girls from a college WhatsApp group.
According to PTI, the first was registered on May 16, followed by two additional cases on May 18 and May 23, and an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act on May 19. These incidents date back to April and May, with the SIT expected to submit its report within seven days.
Chief Minister Yadav in an X post wrote, "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 Kamal Nath called for a high-level inquiry and sought assistance for the survivors. "Not a day goes by when news of atrocities on tribals does not come to light in Madhya Pradesh," he said in an X post.
Simultaneously, Prajapati's unauthorised home in Panwar village was razed post-arrest, as it was constructed on government land without permission, PTI reported citing a district official.