Parliament man uses voice-changing app to pretend to be professor, rapes 7 girls with promises of scholarships – Republic World

Man disguised as a professor raped 7 tribal girls with the promise of a scholarship using a voice-changing app | Image:unsplash

Bhopal: A 30-year-old man was arrested in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, for allegedly raping seven tribal girls. The accused, Brajesh Prajapati, used a voice-changing app and lured the girls by posing as a college professor and offering scholarships, police said.

While Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the case, the accused’s house was demolished after his arrest. Three of Prajapati’s associates were also arrested, Rewa Range Inspector General (IG) Mahendra Singh Sikarwar said.

Prajapati called up girl students posing as a professor of a college in Tikari and asked them to meet him so that they could get a scholarship, the police official said. The caller told the girls that “her son” would take them to their residence. After the crime, he forcibly took away the girl’s mobile phone.

According to one of the plaintiffs, after such a conversation, Prajapati personally picked her up on a motorcycle, wearing a helmet and gloves, took her to a deserted place and allegedly raped her there.

During investigation, police found that the culprit had burns and other injuries on his hands and finally nabbed him. While Prajapati confessed to raping seven girls, four girls have lodged a complaint, IG Sikarwar said.

He may have raped more girls and an investigation is underway, the official said.

His accomplices Lavkush Prajapati, Rahul Prajapati and Sandeep Prajapati were also arrested and 16 mobile phones were recovered from them. One of them was a college student and had the numbers of girls from a WhatsApp group of the college, the IG said.

Their exact role in the crimes had yet to be determined.

The first case of rape, kidnapping, assault and robbery was registered on May 16 following an incident on May 13. Two more cases were registered on May 18 and 23 in connection with crimes that took place on May 4 and 20 respectively. Another FIR was registered on May 19 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in connection with a crime that took place on April 15, police officials said.

On CM Yadav’s directions, IG Sikarwar has formed a nine-member SIT headed by Kusmi Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Roshni Singh Thakur, which will submit its report in seven days, officials said.

“Anyone who commits such reprehensible acts is an enemy of society. The most severe measures will be taken against the accused. They will not be spared at any cost,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.

Congress leader Kamal Nath demanded a high-level investigation.

“Can girls from tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh not even study in university without fear? … What does the slogan ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ mean?” the former chief minister asked on X, pointing out that Madhya Pradesh leads the country in the number of crimes against tribals and women.

“Not a day goes by without news of atrocities against tribal people coming to light in Madhya Pradesh,” he said, while appealing for financial assistance to the survivors in the Sidhi case.

Meanwhile, Prajapati’s house in Panwar village in the same district was demolished after the arrest. The house was built on government land without permission, a district official told reporters.

(With inputs from PTI)