Girl gang-raped returning from coaching:Victim reached police station, cop father struggled for hours for registering FIR

A shocking case from Bhopal exposed serious lapses in urban safety and policing, after a UPSC aspirant was allegedly gang-raped near then-Habibganj (now Rani Kamlapati)—just meters away from a police station—on the night of October 31, 2017. The incident occurred in one of the city’s busiest areas, at a time when roads were crowded and activity was at its peak. Yet, the crime went unnoticed, with the victim’s cries lost in the noise of the city. What was the whole matter What happened to the girl that evening? Who was the girl? Read the full report… Survivor reaches police station in distress At around 10:30 PM, a young woman ran toward the RPF police station at Habibganj, visibly shaken and in torn clothes. Her condition left officers stunned. The officer on duty immediately contacted her father using her phone. Her father, an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Railway Protection Force, was devastated upon hearing her voice. When the victim spoke to her mother, she broke down completely. Parents’ ordeal begins Before this, the victim’s mother had been waiting for her at Vidisha railway station. When multiple trains arrived and her daughter did not, concern grew. Her phone had been switched off since 7 PM. Within minutes of receiving the call, the father rushed to the police station. There, a helpless father in uniform stood before his traumatized daughter. Unable to speak, she clung to him and cried. He took her home, where her mother treated her injuries and tried to comfort her before learning the full extent of the incident. A disturbing revelation The victim revealed that she had been gang-raped by four men. The disclosure left her parents devastated. She was preparing for the UPSC exams and attended coaching classes in MP Nagar, Bhopal. Although her father was posted in Bhopal and had official quarters, she commuted daily from Vidisha—travelling to Bhopal in the morning and returning in the evening. The night of the crime On October 31, after finishing her coaching around 7 PM, she headed toward Habibganj (now Rani Kamalapati) railway station to return home. There was a shortcut route leading to the station—just 5–10 minutes away—passing through a relatively isolated railway outer area. The main road, though safer, would take nearly 30 minutes. About 50 steps into the dark stretch, she was allegedly attacked and gang-raped. Shockingly, the crime scene was barely 50 meters from the RPF police station. FIR delayed despite serious crime The next morning, her father took her to MP Nagar police station to file a complaint. However, after visiting the crime scene, officers claimed the area did not fall under their jurisdiction and directed the family elsewhere. During this time, the victim reportedly identified one of the accused among a group of men nearby. Despite the severity of the crime, nearly 18 hours passed without an FIR being registered. Even at Habibganj police station, officials initially refused, citing jurisdiction issues. Eventually, after persistent efforts, police agreed to register a “zero FIR.” However, even as the statement process began, personnel from the GRP police station arrived to take over the case. Questions that remain unanswered The case raised several troubling questions: The incident not only highlighted a brutal crime but also exposed gaps in coordination and accountability within the policing system. To be continued in Part 2…