Public Outrage Forces Action in Bhopal Child Assault Case
The relentless protests by enraged villagers in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district finally compelled police to intensify their search for 23-year-old Salman, the prime suspect in the brutal sexual assault of a six-year-old girl. For nearly six days, despite massive public pressure and the formation of special police teams, the accused remained at large, exposing significant gaps in the state's law enforcement capabilities.
How Villagers Achieved What Police Couldn't
The breakthrough came not from high-tech policing but from the alertness of local residents. On Thursday night, locals in Bhopal's Gandhinagar area grew suspicious of a man behaving oddly at a tea stall. When Salman failed to produce an Aadhaar card for identification, one villager recognized him from CCTV images circulating online. The group immediately restrained him and alerted police, ending a manhunt that had stretched for nearly a week.
Investigations revealed that Salman had sold his mobile phone on November 12, weeks before committing the crime on November 21, making technical surveillance ineffective. During his time as a fugitive, he navigated forest trails and congested slum pockets on Bhopal's outskirts, easily evading police despite widespread deployment.
Political Fallout and Security Measures
The spiraling public anger forced Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to convene a high-level review at police headquarters on November 26. The same day, Raisen SP Pankaj Pandey was removed from his post and attached to headquarters, with Ashutosh Gupta taking over as the new district SP.
Authorities enforced Section 144 and prohibitory orders under Section 163 CrPC across the district on Friday. RAF units and additional police companies were deployed to maintain calm, while police teams visited schools and colleges to identify antisocial elements active near campuses.
The case also sparked political controversies as several leaders faced criticism for violating the survivor's privacy. Congress leader Vibha Patel was confronted by women in her village, while BJP MLA Surendra Patwa deleted a post showing his visit to the family after backlash. Congress MLA Arif Masood and social media influencer Harsha Richharia also removed content that risked identifying the victim.
The rightwing group Karni Sena's state president Indal Singh Rana met the new SP demanding that the accused be hanged "in a public square within 30 days".
Medical Condition and Ongoing Investigation
The six-year-old victim was found crying and bleeding with grievous injuries on November 21. Doctors at AIIMS Bhopal performed multiple emergency surgeries, and the child remains in the ICU, fighting for her life. The case continues to trouble investigators who are examining how Salman managed to evade capture despite extensive police resources and public attention.
