Teen girl gangraped, friend tied up in Madhya Pradesh’s Pachmarhi; three held

Three men have been arrested for allegedly gangraping a 17-year-old girl after tying up her friend in Madhya Pradesh’s Pachmarhi, a popular tourist destination, police said on Monday (August 24, 2026).

According to the police, the incident took place on August 19 when the survivor was waiting to return home with a friend of hers at a bus stop in Narmadapuram district’s Pachmarhi when a tourist driver arrived there with two other men and took them to a dense forest where the three accused raped the girl. 

Speaking to The Hindu, Narmadapuram Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Birendra Kumar Singh said the driver Hariom Kushwaha, who was known to the girl’s male friend, had taken some photographs of them together and was using them to blackmail them. The other two accused have been identified as Abhishek Vanshkar and Pawan Bansal, who work at a hotel. 

“The three accused are friends and they took the victims in their car by blackmailing them using the photographs. In the forest, they tied up the boy and raped the girl,” Mr. Singh. 

The DIG said the girl filed a complaint on August 23 after which all three accused were arrested. They have been booked under relevant provisions, including the POCSO Act and the Section 70(2) (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, at the Pachmarhi police station.  

The three accused hail from nearby areas in the district, he said. 

Narmadapuram Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Ranjan said the accused were detained within six hours of the complaint being filed. 

“As soon as the police station received the complaint, various teams were found to trace the accused and they were arrested within six hours. They are currently in police custody,” he said. 

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari slammed the State’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the issue of women’s safety, especially at tourist destinations.

“Shocking news of a minor girl student being gangraped in the Pachmarhi forests is a black mark on the face of law and order! The shameless government must admit: runaway crime has now become Madhya Pradesh’s identity!” Mr. Patwari said on X.

“New questions raised about women’s safety at a famous tourist spot like Pachmarhi are proof that only firm action can now dispel the fear embedded in the hearts of our daughters!” he added.