The horrific death of an 11-year-old hearing and speech impaired girl in Narsinghgarh (Rajgarh), Madhya Pradesh, has once again raised serious questions about the judicial system that allows repeat rape offenders to walk free. The accused, Ramesh Singh, has a horrifying history of crimes against minors but was repeatedly acquitted by the courts.
A Trail of Crimes, a Broken System
Ramesh Singh, a resident of Dabripura in Polaykala, raped a 5-year-old girl in Shajapur district's Mubarikpur village back in 2003. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. But after serving his sentence and being released in 2013, he struck again.
In 2014, he kidnapped and brutally raped an 8-year-old girl in Ashta (Sehore). This time, the lower court sentenced him to death.
In 2019, the High Court overturned the verdict on technical grounds, stating that the victim's father was present during the identification parade, which could have influenced the results.
This decision gave Ramesh another chance to walk free. Another innocent child paid the price.
The February 2025 Horror
On the night of February 1-2, an 11-year-old deaf and mute girl went missing from her home in Narsinghgarh. The next morning, she was found in the bushes, her body bearing brutal injuries. A medical examination confirmed the assault. As her condition worsened, she was rushed to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, where she died on February 8.
The police, acting as the complainant, launched an intense investigation.
CCTV footage from 136 cameras across 46 locations was examined. A suspect in a red shawl and blue-black sports shoes was spotted loitering near the crime scene and was later identified as Ramesh Singh. An auto driver confirmed that he had travelled from Kurawar to Narsinghgarh.
Following his escape, police tracked him to Prayagraj, where he had gone for a Maha Kumbh bath. He was finally caught on a train to Jaipur.
The chase involved 16 police teams, 75 personnel, including 9 station in-charges.
Rajgarh SP Aditya Mishra said the police have formed a Special Investigation Team. "The evidence is being thoroughly verified. Given his modus operandi, we are conducting DNA profiling and cross-matching to determine if he is linked to any unsolved cases. Cross-referencing will also be done wherever necessary
