An individual has been arrested for the brutal rape and murder of an 11-year-old deaf and mute orphan girl in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh. The alleged perpetrator, already linked to multiple sexual offenses over the past two decades, was previously acquitted in a high-profile case that has garnered attention in the Supreme Court.
The young victim went missing from her home on the night of February 1 and was subsequently discovered in a nearby forest with severe injuries. Tragically, she succumbed to her wounds in a Bhopal hospital on February 8, after enduring six days of medical treatment. Medical professionals confirmed that she had been raped and faced horrific injuries to her body.
In response to this violent incident, local law enforcement initiated a comprehensive search operation across nine districts and various railway stations. Their investigation led to the arrest of Ramesh Khati, a suspect with a long criminal history.
A significant breakthrough occurred when authorities received a lead about a suspect seen wearing a red shawl and blue-black sports shoes at the Narsingarh bus stand. An auto-rickshaw driver provided crucial information that the suspect had arrived from Kurawar around 6 PM on the day of the crime. This information directed police to Akodia, where they learned the suspect had departed for the Kumbh Mela.
Over a period of six days, police conducted extensive raids in several locations, including Ujjain, Shajapur, Ratlam, and 17 railway stations, searching for potential hideouts. Investigators meticulously reviewed CCTV footage and successfully identified the suspect at the Prayagraj railway station.
Despite attempts to evade capture by frequently changing locations, Rajgarh police employed advanced surveillance and intelligence strategies to track his movements. They analyzed footage from 136 CCTV cameras, identified 79 individuals, and scrutinized call detail records from over 700 phones.
Ultimately, Ramesh Khati was apprehended in Rajgarh district after relentless efforts by law enforcement.
Rajgarh District SP Aditya Mishra highlighted Khati’s history of similar crimes, revealing that he is a serial offender. In 2003, he was convicted for raping a five-year-old girl and served a 10-year prison sentence. After his release in 2014, he again faced criminal charges for raping an eight-year-old girl in Sehore district.
Although initially sentenced to death by a lower court, Khati was acquitted by the High Court in 2019 due to technicalities, notably that the victim’s father had been present during the identification parade. An appeal against this acquittal is presently pending in the Supreme Court.
Published On:
Feb 20, 2025
