Protest Erupts in Ujjain as Lawyers Demand Death Penalty for Rape Accused

Ajay Kumar Verma, the station in charge of Ujjain’s Mahakal police station, also arrived at the court, stating, “We are trying to provide complete security to the accused. He will be punished according to the law. We do not want any untoward incident to happen.”

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Ashok Yadav, President of the Ujjain Bar Association, expressed deep concern over the incident, which he believes has tarnished the image of society. Yadav stated that lawyers will seek the death penalty for the accused during court proceedings.

In his statement to ANI, Yadav said, “This incident of rape that has happened in the ancient and peaceful city is something that tarnishes the whole society’s image and is shameful for the entire city. It seems that humanity is dead. We belong to a civilized society and if strict action is not taken against the accused, it will send the wrong message.”

He further added, “On behalf of the bar association, I appeal to all the lawyers that no one should represent the accused, and I also warn the police administration that no truth should be twisted. Whenever there is a trial in the court, we will protest there and will demand a death sentence for the accused. No member of the bar association will stand with these (the accused) people.”

According to Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Sharma, the incident was reported within the jurisdiction of the Mahakal police station on September 25. The victim underwent a medical examination with the assistance of a counsellor, who confirmed the assault.

A case was registered based on medical grounds, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed for further inquiry. The police, collecting technical evidence, arrested two individuals in connection with the case. Bharat Soni, the main accused, faces charges under IPC section 376 and the POCSO Act, while the second accused, auto driver Rakesh Malviya, is charged with suppressing evidence.

SP Sharma revealed, “There is an accused in the rape case. Another auto driver will also face a case for not informing the police about the incident. Since the victim did not disclose the crime scene initially, we were taking the accused for a re-creation of the crime scene. During this, the accused tried to escape and got injured, along with one of our police officers. Both of them have been provided with medical assistance.”