In a brazen act of violence, a woman and her two young daughters were abducted at gunpoint in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday afternoon, triggering widespread outrage and raising serious questions about the law and order situation in the state. The incident occurred in Sumeri village, within the Lavkushnagar police jurisdiction, when a group of more than a dozen armed men stormed the family's home and forcibly took them away.
According to police reports, the assailants, allegedly led by Sanjay Singh Rajput, the son of a notorious dacoit, arrived on motorcycles and in a four-wheeler. They opened fire, creating an atmosphere of terror, and then dragged 26-year-old Mithlesh and her two children, a 4-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, into a waiting vehicle. Mithlesh's husband, Hariram Prajapati, who attempted to resist the abduction, was brutally beaten with sticks and is currently receiving treatment at the district hospital.
The abduction unfolded in full public view, with a video circulating on social media purportedly showing the armed men threatening locals and forcing the mother and her children into an SUV. The assailants also fired shots in the air as they fled the scene. Police have seized a Bolero and a motorcycle used in the crime and have launched a search operation across more than 25 locations to trace the victims and apprehend the remaining culprits.
In the wake of the incident, five suspects have been taken into custody, and a case has been registered against them under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including attempted murder. Superintendent of Police Agam Jain has formed five specialized teams to locate the remaining suspects and has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to their arrest.
The daylight abduction has drawn sharp political reactions, with the opposition Congress party slamming the ruling BJP government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh. State Congress President Jitu Patwari condemned the incident, stating that the state was setting "new records of lawlessness" despite alarming figures of crimes against women. He questioned Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's silence on the matter, especially since the Chief Minister also holds the home portfolio.
Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath also denounced the incident, stating that "There is no fear of law left in Madhya Pradesh. Such film-style crimes point to a state of jungle raj. This is deeply worrying." He further added that the law and order situation has collapsed in Madhya Pradesh, with incidents of robbery and violence against women being reported from across the state.
The Congress party has been consistently targeting the BJP government, attributing the deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh to lethargy on the part of the Chief Minister and the Home Department. They have highlighted several incidents of sexual assault on minors and violence against women, Dalits, and tribals, alleging that the perpetrators are often patronized by the ruling BJP. The opposition party claims that political interference in the functioning of the police has reached its peak, with local BJP leaders seemingly running the police stations.
