Teen girl gangraped, friend tied up in Madhya Pradesh’s Pachmarhi; three held
Three men have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh for the gangrape of a 17-year-old girl and the assault of her friend. The suspects allegedly used photographs to blackmail the victims before taking them to a forest to commit the crime.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding women's safety in India and the effectiveness of law enforcement at tourist destinations.
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.
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