Pregnant woman pushed down into gorge in MP by married lover; survives

Damoh (MP), July 14 (PTI) An 18-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly pushed down into a gorge by her married lover and his cousin after she sought the prime accused's help for medical treatment in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, police said on Monday.

The accused duo has been arrested.

The woman, who was seriously injured, was spotted by a local panchayat head near Telan Marg under Singrampur outpost in the morning, about 50 km off the Damoh district headquarters.

A local took the victim to Jabera community health centre in his private vehicle, said Jabera police station house officer (SHO) Vikas Chauhan.

"She told police that two men took her to an isolated place and assaulted and pushed her down into the gorge on Telan Marg. Due to the severity of her injuries, the woman was referred to Damoh for advanced treatment," said Block Medical Officer Dr D K Rai.

The victim is a resident of Katni.

She went missing from her home around 2 PM on Sunday and a complaint was registered at Madhav Nagar police station, the SHO said.

Chauhan stated that the woman was initially unwilling to share information but revealed the sequence of events after a medical test confirmed that she is seven months pregnant.

"The woman told police that she had requested her lover to help her get medical treatment. Her lover and his cousin took her to Dumargav village in Damoh on the pretext of getting her medically treated. They raped her in the forest before abandoning her," he said.

Both the accused were arrested on Monday on the charges of attempt to murder and kidnapping under the BNS and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act because the victim is a Dalit, the police officer said.

Abhishek Choubey, the SHO of Madhav Nagar police station in Katni, on Monday, said the police had booked the prime accused on the charge of rape. Sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were also invoked as the victim was a minor when she was raped, he added. PTI COR LAL NSK