Ujjain Rape: Second Accused Arrested As Police Intensify Search For Those Who Shot Video, Made It Viral

Ujjain Rape: A second accused, Mohd Salim, has been arrested in connection with the rape of a woman scrap collector in Ujjain after the crime was captured on video which went viral on social media.

The Ujjain Police have arrested a second accused, Mohd Salim, on Saturday in connection with the rape of a woman scrap collector in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain. Salim was apprehended after police discovered a video of the crime on his mobile phone. The video, shot by unidentified persons, went viral on social media, raising serious concerns about public apathy.

Pradeep Sharma, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ujjain, told news agency ANI, "Two days back, at Koyla Fatak, a man performed an act on a woman after making her consume alcohol and promising her marriage. We were in search of the man who captured a video of the act and made it viral since the beginning. We have arrested one Mohd Salim and impounded his mobile phone, we found the video on the phone. We have found his criminal background."

"A case has been registered against him and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), IT Act, and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. We are analysing his mobile phone regarding the people who he sent that video to and those who made it viral. If there is a plan behind this and if anyone is involved in it - we are identifying all of this. Action will be taken against everyone," he added.

The incident came to light after the video, shot by passers-by instead of intervening, was widely circulated online. The primary accused, Lokesh, allegedly promised to marry the woman, forced her to consume alcohol, and then raped her on Wednesday. Lokesh was arrested after the woman filed a complaint once the effects of alcohol wore off, according to Om Prakash Mishra, City Superintendent of Police (CSP), Kotwali Area, news agency PTI reported.

Ujjain Rape: Madhya Pradesh CM Says ‘Nobody Will Be Spared’ As Congress Slams Govt

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured the public that justice would be served, stating, "There is rule of law in Madhya Pradesh. Those who commit a crime will be dealt with sternly. Nobody will be spared. Be it Ujjain or the entire state, under the leadership of PM Modi we are all committed to good governance."

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, with Congress leaders criticising the state government for its handling of crimes against women. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, described the brutality against women in Ujjain and a separate incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar as a "blot on humanity." Gandhi remarked, "The continuously increasing crimes against women and the attitude of the police administration towards the victim and her family is proof of the cruelty of the system and is a matter of serious concern for the country." He further stated that the "propaganda-centric governments have given birth to an insensitive system to create a false image of themselves, the biggest victims of which are women."

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the incident, calling it "extremely horrifying" and questioning the moral direction of society. She stated, "Today the whole country is stunned as to where our society is heading? According to reports, people passing by were making videos instead of saving the woman. Humanity has been tarnished by such an incident on the holy land of Ujjain."