Two trainee army officers assaulted, female friend allegedly raped during late-night outing in MP

In a shocking incident that took place during a picnic in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Wednesday, two young Indian Army officers were attacked, and one of their female companions was allegedly raped by a group of unidentified attackers, according to reports from the news agency PTI, which cited local police sources.

The officers, aged 23 and 24 and currently enrolled in the Young Officers (YO) course at the Infantry School in Mhow cantonment, had set out for their outing on Tuesday along with two female friends. The situation escalated around 2 am on Wednesday when a group of six to seven individuals approached their picnic location on the Mhow-Mandleshwar road and began assaulting one of the officers and a female friend seated in their vehicle, as reported by Badgonda police station in-charge Lokendra Singh Hirore.

Responding to the disturbance, the remaining officer and another woman, who had been situated on a nearby hilltop, made their way to the scene. According to a complaint filed by one of the officers, the attackers reportedly held the officer and his companion hostage at gunpoint while demanding Rs 10 lakh in ransom,  The Times of India reported. Seizing the opportunity, the officer managed to alert his superiors back in Mhow, who subsequently notified the police. However, by the time law enforcement arrived, the attackers had fled the area.

Following the incident, the officers, along with their friends, were taken to Mhow civil hospital, where medical examinations indicated that one of the women had been raped. According to the reports, a case had been filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those of gang rape, dacoity, extortion, and causing hurt, along with relevant clauses of the Arms Act.

Moreover, additional superintendent of police Rupesh Dwivedi revealed that authorities have identified six suspects with regard to the incident and two of the have already been detained.