Gang rape of four nurses at convent mission centre:Over 26 armed attackers looted the premises; case sparked outrage abroad

Today in Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, the story is of that much-discussed Jhabua case from 28 years ago, which not only shook Madhya Pradesh but the entire country. Its echo was heard even abroad. An incident occurred at a convent mission centre providing education and health services in a tribal area, which raised questions about crime, security, and humanity, all three.
One night in September 1998, some people arrived at the convent on the pretext of treating a crying child. The door opened, and within minutes, the entire premises were filled with screams, terror, and violence. When the police received the news in the morning, the case initially appeared to be a robbery, but after the statements of the four nun sisters came to light, the investigation completely changed. Subsequently, this case became one of the most discussed criminal cases in Madhya Pradesh.
It was around 2 AM on September 22, 1998. Everything was normal in a village in Jhabua district. The village was deep in sleep. Silence prevailed far and wide.
Meanwhile, the doorbell of a convent mission center located on the outskirts of the village rang. The sisters inside opened the door. The people standing outside said that a child was crying continuously and was ill.
The entire scene changed in just a few minutes As soon as the door opened, more than 26 armed people entered the premises. They surrounded the entire convent. When resisted, they started assaulting. Rooms were ransacked. Cupboards were broken and cash and belongings were looted. Outside the center, the village was quiet as before, but inside the convent, screams echoed. For about two hours, there was an atmosphere of chaos and terror. When the villagers woke up The continuous sounds woke up some people in the village. First one or two people came out, then gradually many villagers started moving towards the convent. By about four in the morning, people had gathered outside the premises. Everyone was stunned to see the scene inside. The main gate was broken.
Father was not there, so full information arrived late That night, the Father in charge of the convent was not present. He had gone to the nearby village of Gopalpura. Villagers sent the watchman to call him. When the Father returned, he was stunned to see the situation. After this, he went straight to the police station. Around six in the morning, the police were given written information that some miscreants had entered the convent at night, attacked, and looted cash and belongings. Robbery investigation but the story turned out to be different The initial report only mentioned robbery. There was a reason for this. The report was filed by a person who was not present at the scene at the time of the incident. Police also stunned by the ordeal of the four nuns Police officers recorded separate statements of the four victim nuns. They stated that they were also gang-raped during the robbery. After this, a medical examination was conducted. Evidence was collected from the crime scene and the clothes of the four nuns were seized. All evidence was sent for forensic examination. Sensation spread throughout the area This mission, which had been providing education and health services in the tribal area for years, was known for its social service. After this major incident came to light in such an institution, a sensation spread throughout Jhabua. The matter soon became headlines in the state and then national media. It was also seen as an attack on missionaries abroad and drew sharp reactions. Now the biggest questions before the police were- Who were the people who carried out the incident?
Where did they disappear after the incident?
Why did the robbers, who came to loot, commit rape?
Why was there no prior information about such a big incident?