Bhopal: Two young army officers were brutally attacked, and their female friend was gang-raped at gunpoint in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday evening. The group, out on a picnic, was targeted by the assailants with the intent to rob them.
Police have arrested two of the attackers, one of whom has a criminal history.
The officers, who are undergoing training at Mhow Army College near Indore, had gone to a spot near the firing range at Chhoti Jam with two women friends earlier in the afternoon.
Suddenly, the group was surrounded by eight men armed with pistols, knives, and sticks. The attackers brutally assaulted the trainee officers and the women, robbing them of their money and belongings.
The situation escalated further when the attackers took one officer and a woman hostage, demanding a ransom of ₹10 lakh, while sending the other officer and woman to arrange the money.
Panicked, the officer rushed back to his unit and informed his commanding officer, who immediately alerted the police.
Police and military personnel quickly arrived at the scene, but the attackers fled upon spotting the approaching vehicles.
All four victims were taken to Mhow Civil Hospital for medical examinations at around 6:30 am. Both officers sustained injuries.
According to the Press Trust of India, the medical report confirmed that one of the women had been raped, as stated by police officer Lokendra Singh Hirore.
Senior police officer Hitika Vasal reported that a case has been registered under sections related to robbery, dacoity, rape, and the Arms Act. Authorities are actively searching for the remaining attackers.
