Man rapes woman on sidewalk in India in front of passersby

A man raped a woman in broad daylight on a sidewalk in Madhya Pradesh, India, while bystanders watched and filmed the crime instead of intervening and helping the victim.

The horrific incident took place last week in broad daylight at one of the busiest intersections of Ujjain district, Koyla Phatak.

Accordingly The Indian Express, Ujjain city police commissioner Om Prakash Mishra said the victim came to the police station around 3.30 pm on Wednesday to report the rape.

“Immediately, an officer was called and her story was heard. After the superiors were informed, an FIR (First Information Report) was registered,” Mishra said.

The victim identified the accused in his complaint as a man named Lokesh, police said.

“A team was immediately formed and sent in search of Lokesh and yesterday, within two hours of the FIR registration, we arrested Lokesh. The accused was taken to the police station and interrogated, during which Lokesh admitted to having committed the crime,” Mishra said.

After the incident, the victim was medically examined while Lokesh was produced before the court which remanded him in judicial custody.

“Apart from this, the woman's statement was also recorded in court today. In it, the woman has confirmed the rape incident in court. A video of this incident was also made, which was also given to the police. We have taken it as evidence,” said Mishra.

In addition, according to India todayAn autorickshaw driver who filmed the incident was arrested.

Police claim that the accused Lokesh “promised her marriage, forced her to drink alcohol and then raped her on Wednesday”.

This heartbreaking incident in India came weeks after nationwide outrage and protests erupted across the country over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where she worked.

Many people drew parallels between the incident and the infamous gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012.

This latest incident of sexual abuse in India has sparked a war of words between the Congress party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The opposition party raised alarm over the “deterioration of public order” in the state, pointing out that the crime took place in Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's constituency.