A massive protest is being held outside a police station in Rajasthan’s Dausa district after a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a cop. Villagers, who have turned up outside the police station in large numbers, beat up the sub-inspector accused of raping the girl.

Sub-inspector Bhupendra Singh, who was on election duty, allegedly lured the girl into his room and raped her. The accused has been arrested and is being investigated, Assistant Superintendent of Police Bajrang Singh said.

“A case has been registered in Rahuwas police station against an SI identified as Bhupendra based on the complaint by a family living nearby. They have accused him of rape. A medical examination is being done of the minor girl. Necessary action will be taken,” Mr Singh said.

As the news spread, villagers gathered around the Rahuwas police station in large numbers, shouting slogans against the police. They also beat up Bhupendra Singh before handing him over to the police.

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who went to the spot, said, “There is a huge anger among the people over the incident of rape of a seven-year-old Dalit girl by a policeman in Lalsot. I have reached the spot to get justice for the innocent child.”

लालसोट में 7 साल की दलित बच्ची के साथ पुलिसकर्मी द्वारा दुष्कर्म की घटना से लोगों में भारी आक्रोश है। मासूम को न्याय दिलाने के लिए मौके पर पहुंच गया हूं। अशोक गहलोत सरकार के नाकारापन से निरंकुश हुई पुलिस चुनाव जैसे संवेदनशील मौके पर भी ज्यादती करने से बाज नहीं आ रही। pic.twitter.com/xnIB13eyWi

— Dr.Kirodi Lal Meena (@DrKirodilalBJP) November 10, 2023

The BJP MP has also announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the girl’s family.

“I have come here to help the girl. The sub-inspector has been arrested. For me, elections come afterwards, and my first priority will be giving the family justice. It is a shameful incident,” Mr Meena said.

Bhai Dooj, also known as Bhai Phota in Bengal, is a major Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Falling two days after Diwali, it holds immense cultural and emotional significance in India. The festival is made up of two words – “Bhai” meaning brother and “Dooj” meaning the second day after the new moon, which is the day of its celebration. On this auspicious day, sisters express their love and affection for their brothers by performing aarti, applying tilak (vermilion) on their foreheads, and tying a protective thread around their wrists.

Also Read | The Five Days Of Diwali And The Festival’s Spiritual Significance

This symbolic act signifies sisters’ prayers for their brothers’ well-being and long life. In return, brothers shower their sisters with gifts and promise to protect and support them throughout their lives. With Bhai Dooj, five-day-long celebrations of Diwali conclude.

The legend behind Bhai Dooj is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology. According to one popular story, Yama, the god of death, visited his sister Yamuna on this day. Yamuna warmly welcomed her brother and applied tilak on his forehead. Touched by her love and hospitality, Yama granted Yamuna a boon that whoever receives tilak and aarti from their sister on this day would be blessed with a long and prosperous life.

The rituals associated with Bhai Dooj vary across different regions of India, adding diverse flavours to the celebration. In some places, sisters prepare a special meal for their brothers, while in others, families come together for festive gatherings. The exchange of gifts, sweets, and the ceremonial tilak reinforces the emotional connection between siblings.

Bhai Dooj serves as a reminder of the importance of family ties and the unconditional support that siblings provide each other throughout their lives.

The festival not only strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters but also fosters a sense of unity and togetherness within the whole family.

At least five persons were killed and about 60 passengers injured when a state government bus and an omnibus collided head-on on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

The front portion of the two vehicles were completely smashed. Police who rushed to the spot helped the injured reach hospitals in about ten ambulances, said an official.

Four persons including a woman were killed initially when the State Express Transport Corporation bus proceeding to Chennai from Bengaluru collided with the Bengaluru-bound omnibus from Chennai at Chettiyappanur near here.

Rithika, 32 of Guduvanchery, Mohammed Firoz, 37, of Vaniyambadi, SETC bus driver K Elumalai, 47, and B Ajith, 25, of Chittoor died on the spot while the omnibus driver N Syed succumbed later, said police.

“The accident occured at about 4 am. The SETC bus hit the median and collided with the omnibus leading to the mishap,” a police official said.

The injured were admitted to the Vaniyambadi government hospital in Tirupattur district and the Government Medical College Hospital in Vellore.