Two minor girls were allegedly gangraped in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district and police registered a case against seven persons in connection with the case, police said on Tuesday.

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Sonkar told The Indian Express that five accused were arrested in connection with the incident, which took place in a forest area some 25 days ago.

“The police got to know about the incident when a video surfaced on Sunday. Soon after the video surfaced, the police made arrests. We have inputs on the absconding accused and they will be arrested soon,” the ASP said.
According to police, the victims, both cousins aged 14 and 16, had taken goats for grazing in the forest. “Some persons who were roaming around the area allegedly raped the girls and shot a video,” the officer said.

The accused threatened the girls that they will circulate the video if they inform anyone about the incident, the SP said.

After the video surfaced on social media, the police traced the victims, Sonkar said. On Monday, police registered a case against seven persons based on a complaint filed by the victims.

The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the IPC and POCSO Act as well as under the Information Technology Act for shooting the video and circulating it, police said.

Following the incident, former chief minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath targeted the BJP government in the state saying that it has “weakened Madhya Pradesh’s tribal society to such an extent that everyone believes they can abuse the tribal population and get away with it.”