It was early in the morning in Duglai, a village in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, where about a dozen residents were crowded around two electricians, busy installing power meters outside the house of resident Shyamlal Tekam. Above them, a third electrician is replacing the damaged power cable with a new line.
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Duglai is located deep in the forest in Balaghat, which was removed from the Union’s Interior Ministry last month from the list of “most affected” areas by left-wing extremism and was notified as a “region of concern”, a sign that Maoist influence in the region is in decline.
Until 10 days ago, the village was isolated from the rest of the country. Except for the first time when wires and cables were laid nearly 12 years ago, it never had electricity. “The cable was damaged in a few weeks and was never replaced,” Mr Tekam said. It was also never associated with the National Road Network. But the 130+ Gundy residents here, most of whom live in mud houses with thatched roofs, have had a series of activities over the past few days, with senior district officials, police and political leaders frequently visiting and overseeing a massive overhaul of the civic infrastructure, including a six-month link, which sets up one link with the six-month link and only the link of the duglai.
While the administration says that the works are part of the Centre's Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) and the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) schemes, many Duglai residents claim that the civic revamp started only after an outcry following the gang-rape of four village residents — three minors and a woman — last month.
assault
The incident occurred around 1.30 am on the evening of April 23-24, when four underage girls and a woman, accompanied by her uncle, were returning from the wedding in the neighboring Thakurtola Village, two kilometers away. The group was paired with seven men who chased them on motorcycles from the event venue. According to the police, the defendant beat Mr. Shanglu, kidnapped four victims and fled.
Six Dugal residents returned to the village around and around and shared their ordeal with others. On the morning of April 24, the victim's parents and residents of Thakurtola approached the defendant's family with the defendant in Bhagatpur, 3.5 kilometers away, but were allegedly turned away.
Bhagatpur has electricity, roads, concrete houses, cattle, tractors and other farm machines.
“They first refused to believe that their son had done it, and later offered us money to solve the problem,” said one victim's father.
Balaghat Police Commissioner (SP) Nagendra Singh told Hindus that the victims stood on the ground despite the fact that residents in some areas were urging to “settlement”.
“The village has been influenced by Maoists for a long time, and during this time, it was taught to avoid police and government. Now, the police team is visiting victims every day. Victims have begun to share their ordeals with us to help the case move forward,” he said.
“I won't back down”
On April 25, the victims, their parents and some members of tribal costumes arrived at the Godri Police Department inspectors and filed the FIR with allegations of rape, assault and prescribed charges of Pocso Act. By night, police arrested the defendant, identified as Lokesh Matre, 22, Inglesh Matre, 19, Ajayendra, 19, Ajayendra, 27, Maniram Bahe, 21 (brother), Raju Bagdate, 21, Rajendra Saber, 24 and Lal Chand Khare, 34.
The defendant is currently in judicial custody, but the survivors are still living in a state-run shelter for children in Baraghart town.
Reena*, who was protected by police protection to visit her family along with other rape survivors, said pressure from the defendant's family to reach a deal did not stop her from filing a lawsuit.
“Before leaving us in the jungle, they threatened us and said we would not be able to do anything. So we shouldn't tell anyone about crime. But I told the police everything.”
But sorting tender meat from the forest is the main occupation of residents here, with one of the rape survivors' father Shyamlal* being bothered by frequent visits by officials from the district government and police department.
“No one came here earlier. Now, there are a lot of people coming to ask a lot of questions,” he said.
“My husband told me nothing. We only found out when the police came and took everyone away. I have never seen him since then,” he said.
“My father-in-law is sick. I need to go to the hospital frequently now. Who will take me there?” she added, the case was “fake”.
Meanwhile, the region’s former MP, famous politician Kankar Munjare, is known as Duglai’s “rush” development of works “insults” to survivors and their families.
“Does anyone have to be raped or killed to get basic civic services? It's not a form of compensation, but an insult to their pain,” he said.
Balaghat collector Mrunal Meena said there is no connection between the crime and the civic service department in the area.
“Under the Dajgua plan, we have identified 200 priority villages for electrification, and this work is being done in many other villages. Duglai is one of the most affected villages by Maoism. But we are working to connect these places with the mainstream,” he said.
*Change the name to protect identity
publishing – May 6, 2025 at 09:48 AM IST
