MP: After 21 Yrs Of Jhabua Nuns Gang-Rape Case, Police Arrest Absconding Accused

As many as 21 years after four nuns were raped by 26 persons in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, the police have been able to catch a 45-year-old accused man who has been absconding in the case.

How was the accused caught?

Reportedly, the accused has been identified as one Kalu Limji and he was arrested from the district’s Amba village. Of the 26 who had been accused of the crime, 24 were immediately arrested and while nine were awarded life imprisonment, 13 others were acquitted.

In September of 1998, accused who are mostly tribals raped the nuns at the Priti Sharan Mission at Naupara village. The area, which is predominantly a tribal district is just 25 km away from the district headquarters.

Jhabua district Superintendent of Police Vineet Jain told reporters, “Limji was one of the two absconding accused and was arrested at Aamba village after a tip-off.” The police officials added that Limji had earlier worked in Gujarat.

What was the rape case?

Police personnel in plain clothes reportedly posed as district-level officers and after reaching the village, they began to inquire about the number of “pucca” houses there. Jain said, “When Limji arrived there on a motorcycle, someone called him to ask if he wanted to become beneficiary of the government scheme. As soon as he came there, police arrested him,” reported NDTV. However, the last accused, Bachchu is still absconding.

The nuns, who were between the ages of 20 and 30 had come to the area from Tamil Nadu to set up Priti Sharan and had made the village their place of residence. After the incident, the then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, who visited Jhabua had hinted that the Hindu organisations conspired the gang rape against the minority Christian community.

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