Man accused of filming rape on Indian street is arrested

Police in India arrested a man who allegedly filmed and shared a video of the rape of a woman on a street in a case that has sparked a public outcry.

- NAMITA SINGH

The incident occurred on Wednesday at a busy intersection in the city of Ujjain in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. A woman who worked as a ragpicker was allegedly raped by a man the police identified only by his first name, Lokesh.

Lokesh, who was arrested within hours of a complaint being filed by the survivor, had allegedly forced her to consume alcohol before he raped her, police said.

Ujjain’s superintendent of police, Pradeep Sharma, said the individual who allegedly filmed the rape has been identified as Mohammad Salim, an auto rickshaw driver in the city. Mr Sharma said the investigators are still questioning him to ascertain his motive.

The incident comes in the wake of widespread protests against last month’s rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.