Nuns identify 23 people accused of gang rape:Victim says they were dragged outside and stripped, no one helped despite screaming

In the first part of Crime Files, you read that on the midnight of September 22-23, 1998, more than 26 armed miscreants broke into a convent mission located in a village in Jhabua district.
They looted and unleashed violence throughout the premises. That night, four nun sisters were also in the convent, while the Father in charge had gone out. When the villagers reached the spot in the morning, they found the building’s gate broken. All the belongings inside were scattered, and the four sisters were in a state of shock. In the initial complaint, the incident was described as a robbery, but when the police investigation progressed, everyone was stunned. The nuns reported being gang-raped. After this, a sensation spread throughout the state and the country, and immense pressure was put on the police to identify and arrest the culprits as soon as possible. Read what happened next in this part The four sisters present in the convent were residents of Tamil Nadu. They knew Tamil and English, but could not speak Hindi. Therefore, with the consent of both parties, the court appointed Professor R.A. Khan, Head of the English Department at Government College Jhabua, as the translator. With his help, the statements of the victims were recorded. Midnight… and a knock at the gate On the night of September 22, all four were in their respective rooms. Around two o’clock, the calling bell rang. Two nurses reached the parlor room, from where medicines were dispensed. Looking out the window, they saw many people standing outside. Soon, two more nurses also arrived there. In the light of the bulb burning near the main gate, they saw eight to ten people. They had sharp weapons in their hands. They said their child was sick and needed medicine. A little later, the sound of a child crying was also heard. When the sisters asked about the child’s mother, the people standing outside pointed towards the road. The sisters said, “Bring the mother, then treatment will be given.” After this, they closed the door. The Door Broke and Everything Changed A loud noise came a little later. The miscreants had broken the main door. Now they wanted the prayer room door to be opened. The sisters told them to take whatever they wanted, but not to harm them. They tried to hold the door, but when it seemed it would break, they reluctantly opened it. Ten to fifteen people entered the brightly lit prayer room. They were searching for something between the cupboards and books. Nurse’s statement changed the direction of the investigation According to the nurse, some miscreants dragged her and other sisters outside. When they resisted, they were slapped and told to remain silent at gunpoint. In her statement, she said that her hands and feet were held, her mouth was covered, and she was gang-raped. Four miscreants held her hands and feet, while the others raped her one by one. She also heard the screams of the other sister, but could not see anything in the dark. All four nurses kept screaming for two hours, but no one came to save them. Police took 40 people into custody After the attack, the miscreants spread into different rooms. They fled after collecting cash, watches, cameras, typewriters, sewing machines, clothes, and other items. After they left, the four sisters were in shock. Around four in the morning, some villagers arrived. Seeing the broken gate, scattered belongings, and frightened sisters, they informed the church father and then the police. The police continuously raided nearby villages. Around 40 people were taken into custody and interrogated. Nurses identified 23 people in the identification parade The most crucial stage of the investigation was the identification parade. The sisters did not know any of the accused beforehand. Therefore, an identification parade was conducted in the district jail under the supervision of judicial officers. These were the suspects who were seen in the area that night. Besides this, the police had no other clue. Therefore, the entire case depended on the identification parade. In different phases, the nurses identified a total of 23 people, including Bhurji, Pidhiya, Badra alias Bahadra, Chamna, Ramesh, Kamji, Mesariya, Jhitra, and Khemraj. Of these, 23 were arrested, while three remained absconding. The victims also identified the recovered typewriter, sewing machine, watches, clothes, and other items. Case went from Trial Court to High Court In April 2001, the trial court delivered its verdict. Out of 23 accused, seven were acquitted, while 16 accused were convicted of dacoity, housebreaking, and charges related to sexual violence, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Two accused Kalu Limji and Bachchu Naharsingh had been absconding since the incident. Later, Kalu was arrested in 2019, while Bachchu is still reported to be absconding. The convicts challenged the verdict in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He stated that there were many shortcomings in the identification parade and the initial FIR. The High Court re-examined all the evidence. In the case of one accused, he was given relief by giving him the benefit of doubt regarding identification, while the sentences against the remaining accused were upheld or modified. Also read Crime Files Part-1