Minor Girl Abducted, Assaulted in Barmer; Police Launch Manhunt
A horrific incident of kidnapping and sexual assault has sent shockwaves through the Gudamalani area of Barmer district in Rajasthan. A 17-year-old Class 12 student was allegedly abducted and raped at knifepoint by two youths last Friday while she was returning home from school.
The police registered a formal case under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act on Monday, initiating a massive search operation to nab the accused. The traumatic episode occurred on December 12, when the perpetrators, traveling in an SUV, accosted the minor.
Sequence of a Terrifying Ordeal
According to the police account, the two men threatened the teenager with a knife before forcibly taking her into their vehicle. Gudamalani SHO Surendra Bishnoi stated that the accused then drove the victim to a deserted location. It was inside the vehicle at this isolated spot that they allegedly raped her.
The ordeal came to an end only when local people, alerted by the girl's screams, approached the scene. The accused panicked and fled, abandoning the traumatised survivor. Showing immense courage, the girl managed to find her way back home, reaching around 7:30 PM on the day of the incident.
Formal Complaint and Police Action
Upon reaching home, the minor narrated the entire harrowing experience to her mother. Her father, who was out of the district attending a wedding, returned late on December 14. The family then approached the police the following day, Saturday, to lodge an official complaint at the Gudamalani police station.
Based on the father's complaint, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with the Pocso Act. Authorities have confirmed that the medical examination of the survivor and other necessary legal formalities have been completed.
Gudamalani DSP Sukhram Vishnoi has been entrusted with leading the investigation. Police teams have been formed and are conducting raids at suspected locations to trace the two absconding accused. "Efforts are on to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest," assured the station officer, confirming that the investigation is actively underway.
