#UjjainHorror: Meet Acharya Rahul Sharma, a priest in an Ashram, who helped 12-yr-old rape victim in Ujjain

After no one offered help to the 12-year-old girl after being raped, half-naked and bleeding, going door-to-door seeking help in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, a priest came to the rescue of a minor girl and offered help.

Acharya Rahul Sharma is a priest of an ashram named Dandi Gurukul Ashra, a residential school for Vedic learning, located near Badnagar Road, about 15 km from Ujjain City.

 

 

Speaking about the horrifying state, the minor girl arrived near his ashram, he said that around 9.30 am on Monday, he was leaving the ashram for some urgent work when he spotted the girl, bleeding and half-naked, near the gates.

 

"I was at the gate of my ashram leaving for a meeting at around 9:30 am when I saw a girl in pain, trying to cover her private parts with whatever she could from an almost torn rag walking towards the ashram. For a second, I couldn't understand, then I stepped out and hurriedly removed the ang vastra (the top part of a two-part dress worn by priests) that I was wearing on my upper body and gave it to her," Sharma said.

 

"She was bleeding. She could not speak. Her eyes were swollen. I called 100. When I could not reach the cops over the helpline, I contacted the Mahakal police station and informed them about the situation. Police reached the ashram in about 20 minutes," he said.

 

A CCTV footage of the girl, injured and half-naked, going door to door for help but receiving none has sparked massive outrage. One man is seen shooing her away as she approaches him. She got help only after she reached an ashram in the neighbourhood.

 

The 21-year-old priest said the girl was speaking to them, but they could not understand her properly. "We asked her name, about her family. We assured her that she is safe and that she should share contact details of her family so that we can get in touch. But she was very scared".

 

 

The priest said the girl was able to trust him as they waited for the cops to arrive. "Whenever someone else approached her, she tried to hide behind me. Then police came and took her with them."

 

The girl was talking about some place, the priest said, adding that they could not understand the location.

 

Police have formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident. A case of rape has been registered and provisions of the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been invoked.

 

"A case of rape against an unidentified perpetrator has been registered, invoking the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The medical examination has confirmed rape. We have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and are closely following this. We urge the public to come forward with any information," Superintendent of Police (Ujjain) Sachin Sharma told the media.

 

State home minister Narottam Mishra yesterday said the condition of the girl is now stable.