A robbery incident turned into a nightmare for a tribal woman in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur after a group of masked men broke into her house on Friday night, made away with valuables, and two of them allegedly gang-raped her too, the police said. As per police, the incident unfolded at a village near Alirajpur, under the jurisdiction of Bori Police Station, and the accused even inserted a wooden object into the woman’s private parts before fleeing.

The survivor sustained grievous injuries and has been referred to a hospital in Indore, where the doctors performed surgery on her for treatment.

Police confirm incident

Alirajpur’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Raghuvansh Kumar Singh told the media that as per preliminary investigations, it was learnt that the attackers had subjected the woman to extreme brutality. Singh told news agency PTI, “A preliminary probe suggests that a wooden object had been shoved into her private parts.” Doctors treating the woman also confirmed she had sustained grievous injuries to her private parts.

The investigating police personnel have collected evidence from the crime scene. However, authorities have chosen to remain tight-lipped on more details, saying further probe into the incident is underway.

Police suspect that the accused entered into the house with the intent to commit robbery, though all the aspects of the case are being probed.

Accused make away with silver ornaments, cell phone

According to police, the intruders allegedly made off with silver ornaments and a cell phone during the robbery. SP Singh said, “Prima facie, it appears that the accused entered the house with the intention of committing robbery, though all angles are being investigated.”

Police said they have begun persevering in efforts to identify and apprehend the accused. They have also begun gathering forensic evidence and tracking the movements of the perpetrators.

Congress demands SIT be formed for probe

Political tensions erupted in the state in the aftermath of the incident, as the opposition Congress party demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to bring the accused to justice.

Congress MLA from Jhabua and State Chief of the party’s tribal wing, Vikrant Bhuria, met the survivor at the Indore hospital. He said doctors informed him that the woman underwent a successful surgery.

Bhuria alleged that as many as eight masked men had been involved in the attack and called the incident ‘shameful.’ He voiced concerns over the safety of women, particularly those belonging to tribal communities in the state.

He then urged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav to order an SIT probe and ensure the accused face the strictest punishment under the law. Moreover, he also demanded financial aid for the survivor, noting that she had already lost her husband and was now facing the aftermath of the traumatic attack.