Madhya Pradesh's Rising Child Crime Crisis: A Six-Year-Old's Tragic Case Highlights Systemic Failures

The state of Madhya Pradesh reported 22,393 cases against children in 2023, maintaining its unfortunate position as the highest in India for five consecutive years.

Bhopal:

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a child in India falls victim to crime every three minutes, with a POCSO case being registered every eight minutes. The year 2023 witnessed 1,77,335 crimes against children nationwide, representing an alarming 9.2 percent increase from the previous year.

Madhya Pradesh stands at the epicenter of this national crisis, contributing 13 percent of India's total child-crime statistics. With 22,393 cases against children recorded in 2023, the state has maintained the highest position in the country for five straight years. The crime rate of 77.9 per lakh child population nearly doubles the national average.

Against this disturbing backdrop, the Raisen rape case emerged. On November 21, a six-year-old girl was allegedly enticed with chocolates into a forest where she was raped. The attack was so severe that she remains in an ICU at a Bhopal hospital, suffering from multiple internal and external injuries that doctors estimate may require six months to heal.

When news of the crime spread, Raisen witnessed public outrage with road blockades, police station sieges, and stone-throwing incidents. The intensity of public anger prompted Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to visit Raisen police headquarters personally, where he removed the Superintendent of Police and suspended the local station in-charge.

The 23-year-old suspect, Salman, disappeared after the assault, triggering one of the region's largest manhunts in recent memory. Eleven teams comprising over 300 police personnel searched forests, settlements, highways, and urban peripheries. After 144 hours, a breakthrough occurred at a small tea shop in Bhopal's Gandhi Nagar, where Salman had returned to a stall where he previously worked. Three local residents—Abdul, Rizwan, and Asif—recognized him and discreetly sent his photograph to police, leading to his capture within minutes.

A dramatic turn of events occurred during his transport to Gauharganj. Near Obaidullaganj's forests, the police vehicle experienced a puncture. As officers exited the vehicle, Salman attacked Sub-Inspector Shyam Raj and seized his service weapon. "Drop the pistol!" Inspector Tripathi recalled commanding during those terrifying moments.

In an exclusive interview, Inspector Vijay Tripathi, who shot the accused, recounted: "At night, we were traveling in two vehicles, transporting the accused Salman from Gandhi Nagar. As we approached Kiratnagar, the vehicle ahead of us developed a puncture. When the vehicle stopped, our officers exited, and simultaneously, the accused also got out. As soon as the officers stepped out, the accused suddenly attempted to grab SI Shyam Raj's pistol and succeeded."

"He tried to shoot at us and discharged two rounds. We warned him, 'Drop the pistol, don't do this,' but he disregarded our commands. Initially, we fired warning shots into the air to deter him. However, he continued shooting. Police have the right to self-defense, so we were compelled to return fire. We discharged four rounds, one striking his leg. He fell injured. Immediately after he collapsed, we transported him to the hospital. His actions clearly indicated previous experience with firearms. The entire incident occurred between 4:00 and 4:30 in the morning. We faced absolutely no external pressure. What transpired was entirely due to his actions, and we responded in self-defense," Tripathi elaborated.

Salman, who also faces an outstanding warrant for mobile theft in Sehore, is currently receiving treatment at Hamidia Hospital.

The young survivor remains in intensive care with facial swelling, deep bruises on her knees and hands, and multiple wounds across her body. Her suffering represents not just a family tragedy but a challenge confronting an entire state that already leads India's most troubling crime statistics.

Addressing the arrest and subsequent encounter, Chief Minister Yadav declared, "No one can escape from our clutches. If anyone takes the law into their hands, we won't let them go. There is no place for laxity."