In a horrifying incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly attacked with an axe after she had rejected marriage with a man who was accused of stalking her. The Chief Accused and his father have been arrested, and police are working to locate three other suspects identified in the case.
The accused, 22-year-old Dharmendra Parihar, was allegedly harassing the girl for a long time and forcing her to marry him, investigators said. The girl refused to have sex with the man, which escalated tensions, police said. The teen was allegedly alone at her house when Dharmendra allegedly went in and attacked her with an axe to inflict “severe injuries” on her head and neck, reports said Friday.
The injured girl tried to flee by running towards the roof of the house, authorities said. According to police, the accused trailed her before trying to hang her with a scarf before running away once the neighbours spotted the crime. A video of part of the incident later appeared on social media, causing outrage among the public.
The victim was first taken to a district hospital and then to a medical facility in Gwalior because of seriousness of her injuries. She had about 60 stitches and is under intensive care, doctors said.
Police have filed cases against five persons on count of attempted murder, causing grievous injury and trespassing. Authorities confirmed that Dharmendra Parihar and his father Ajab Singh Parihar have been arrested, and that searches are being conducted on the other suspects.
Investigators said the case is being handled as a serious crime and additional questioning of the suspects is continuing to try to piece together the events of the case.