Bhopal police has arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly raping a 78-year-old woman in the Habibganj police station limits last month. The police on Sunday said that the woman and the accused used to beg on the streets.
They used to beg on the streets and would sit near a temple where they were given food by devotees, PTI quoted Habibganj assistant commissioner of police Virendra Kumar Mishra, as saying. He said that the victim used to live in a hut close to the temple, while the accused slept on a footpath nearby.
The official said that the accused allegedly raped the elderly woman on the intervening night of October 26 and 27. Based on a complaint, a case was registered against him, he added.
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Police sources claimed that the woman used to treat the accused like her son and used to give him food as well.
Recently, setting aside the High Court’s order, the Supreme Court acquitted three accused who kidnapped a 19-year-old girl and then brutally murdered her in Delhi's Chhawla area in 2012. All three had challenged the High Court's decision to uphold the death penalty in the Supreme Court. On February 9, 2012, Ravi Kumar, Rahul and Vinod kidnapped the girl on her way home with three colleagues who lived in the same neighbourhood.
A Delhi court had convicted the three accused under various charges of kidnapping, rape and murder. Upholding this decision, the High Court also approved the death penalty. After this, the convicts moved to the Supreme Court against the punishment.
Expressing disappointment over the verdict, the victim’s father said, "We will appeal against the Supreme Court's verdict, which has allowed the acquittal of the three accused. We are in the process of finalising it and will file an appeal soon to reconsider the verdict." The family wants the death penalty for all the accused.
(With PTI Inputs)