MP: Man, wielding sword, tries to kidnap bride he raped
What's the story
In a startling incident, a man identified as Kalu, alias Salim Khan, attempted to kidnap a 22-year-old woman during her wedding ceremony in Ashok Nagar, Madhya Pradesh. According to the police, Khan had previously raped the woman and taken a video of the act. Using the video as leverage, the accused was threatening the woman and her family members not to marry her off to anyone else.
Assault details
Violent attack on victim's family during kidnap attempt
Recently, the family fixed her marriage, not heeding the warnings. When Khan learned of this information, he and his three accomplices stormed the wedding venue and violently attacked the woman and her family with swords and iron rods. The woman's father suffered a broken leg, her brother's arm was fractured, and her mother was brutally beaten by the assailants during this horrifying incident.
Public response
Public intervention thwarts kidnapping, assailants flee
As the victim and her family cried out for help, a crowd began to gather at the scene. Initially, Khan and his accomplices threatened the onlookers but were forced to retreat as more people arrived. Amidst the chaos, threats were also made toward both the woman's family and her fiancé's family. However, they left without accomplishing their kidnapping attempt due to public intervention.
Legal proceedings
Police register case after intervention from local outfit
NDTV reported that local police were initially hesitant to register the case. It was only after intervention from members of a local Hindu outfit late on Wednesday night that police finally registered cases based on complaints from both the woman and her father. The first FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 (rape) and 363 (attempt to kidnap. The second was registered under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (using obscene language) and 506 (criminal intimidation).