Guna district couple assaulted, robbed and nearly raped; five arrested

On the night of July 30, 2026, a 28‑year‑old engineer and his 25‑year‑old fiancée were intercepted near Gader village on the highway in Guna district, Madhya Pradesh, while returning from a hilltop Hanuman temple. A group of at least seven men forced the couple into a nearby forest, where they were assaulted, robbed of their mobile phone, wallet and other belongings, and the woman was subjected to an attempted gang‑rape, including an effort to insert a foreign object.

A passerby alerted the state police’s emergency service (Dial 112), prompting a rapid response. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Guna district police, led by Sub‑Divisional Officer Dipa Dodwe, recovered the stolen items, arrested five of the accused within 24 hours, and launched a search for the remaining two. The arrested men, identified as Babloo Banjara, Chhotu Banjara, Sardar Banjara, Mahendra Banjara and Dinesh Banjara, belong to the semi‑nomadic Banjara community. Superintendent of Police Hitika Vasal announced a bounty of ₹10,000 for each arrest. The incident was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Dharnavada police station.