Auto Driver Who Filmed, Circulated Ujjain Rape Video Arrested: Cops

The man who filmed the rape of a woman in a footpath in Ujjain in broad daylight, and later circulated the video on social media, has been arrested, the police said on Saturday.

The arrested individual has been identified as Mohammad Salim, an auto rickshaw driver.

The police also recovered the mobile phone that was used to record the obscene video which he later shared on social media.

Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma told IANS that the process of questioning was still underway as the police were trying to understand the motive behind the filming the video, and whether it was a part of any 'conspiracy'.

A separate case has been registered against the auto driver under sections 72, 77, 294 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), IT Act and Indecent Representation of Women Act, Sharma said.

The woman was in an intoxicated state when she was raped by an accused individual with whom she had earlier consumed alcohol. The incident happened on September 5.

The matter, however, came to the fore after a disturbing video went viral on social media a day later.

Subsequently, the police swung into action and the main accused was arrested.

The victim had met the accused near a liquor shop, and they consumed alcohol together. Police said that the accused overpowered and raped the woman when she was under the influence of alcohol.

That incident, meanwhile, has stirred a political row as it has happened in Ujjain -- the home district of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

The opposition Congress has questioned the law and order situation in the state, and the safety of women in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

"The incident of a woman being assaulted in broad daylight on the sidewalk in Ujjain is extremely horrifying. Today, the entire nation is stunned, wondering where our society is headed. According to reports, instead of rescuing the woman, passersby were making videos," Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on social media on Friday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)