Alleged Gang Rapists Face Mob Fury as Police Parade Them on the Streets

The mob fury on display in Bhopal, where four alleged rapists were paraded by the police, has elicited a mixed response on social media. While some have called it a fit punishment for rapists, others say exposing the suspects to mob violence was inappropriate, as their crime was yet to be proven.

New Delhi (Sputnik): Police in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh paraded four persons on the streets of Bhopal after they were arrested on suspicion of gang-raping a teenager. As they were paraded in public, angry onlookers pelted them with stones, while some women even thrashed them with shoes and sticks, according to local media.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A senior journalist from Bhopal says the state administration has ordered the police to crack down heavily on crimes against women.

"The incident is not a routine but it might have happened following chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's recent call to the police to crack down on crime against women" senior journalist P. Naveen told Sputnik. 

According to the police, one of the rapists was the victim's lover, who allegedly blackmailed her to accompany him to a room where he was joined by three of his friends to rape her.

"All four accused were booked for gang-rape and abduction, among other charges. The girl's former boyfriend asked her on Saturday to meet him at a restaurant, claiming he had something important to tell her. While she reached, he snatched her mobile phone and told her that if she wanted it back, she would have to come with him to his friend's room. She was forced to go with him on his motorcycle," senior police officer Rahul Lodha told the media.

Reactions on social media have been mixed. While some people supported the idea of parading rapists in order to instill fear among criminals, others say it was unbecoming of the police to expose the accused to public wrath, as their alleged crime is yet to be proven in a court of law.

Bhopal: Police made four accused of gang-rape of a girl parade in the city. The accused were slapped by women and made to do sit-ups in public. pic.twitter.com/2QTCacDksU

— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2018

Very good idea. Just a small amendment needed. This should be done after conviction.
Watch: People slap, beat up four rape accused as MP cops parade them on Bhopal streets via @htTweets https://t.co/B6dRSVS4r7

— divya nair (@divyanairtweets) March 26, 2018

Dear @NHRCOFINDIA Plz take cognizance of this 👇👇
Who gave the right to #Bhopal_Police to punish an alleged Rape accused
Supposing one of them dies of shock- who wud be responsible or accountable for that consequence??@DGP_MP @ChouhanShivraj pic.twitter.com/QDoP1UYoE6

— kumar (@b_k70) March 26, 2018

​Four gang-rape accused paraded in public by Bhopal police and women openly thrashed them with slaps, sticks and shoes.

No men step up to do what the women were doing to the bastards.

— Hina Safdarr (@hinasafi) March 26, 2018

​Bhopal cops parade 4 gang-rape accused on road, force them to do sit-ups in public https://t.co/WIcJwkJJgZ pic.twitter.com/VSSs0FZIDy

— DNA (@dna) March 25, 2018

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