Police have arrested five persons and launched a search for two absconding accused in connection with the alleged attempted gang rape, assault and robbery of a young couple returning from Hanuman Tekri in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district.

According to police, the victims—a man from Jharkhand, who works at the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) unit in Vijaypur, and his 26-year-old fiancée—had visited Hanuman Tekri for darshan and were returning on a motorcycle on Wednesday night.

Couple Allegedly Lured Into Forest

The incident reportedly took place around 8 pm near a Reliance petrol pump, where three men allegedly stopped the couple, claiming that their motorcycle had suffered a puncture.

Police said that when the victim stopped to check the vehicle, the accused allegedly took away the motorcycle key and forcibly dragged both victims by their hair into a nearby forested area. According to the complaint, three more men later joined them.

The accused allegedly assaulted both victims with sticks and fists, threatened them with dire consequences and robbed them of their motorcycle and mobile phones.

Woman Alleges Attempted Gang Rape

According to the woman's statement to police, the accused separated the couple, taking the man away while several assailants allegedly attempted to sexually assault her.

The complainant alleged that her clothes were torn, her hands were tied using pieces of cloth, and she was physically assaulted after resisting the attack. She further claimed that she fought back by scratching and biting the accused.

The woman also alleged that one of the accused attempted to insert a wooden stick into her private parts, causing injuries.

Police Arrival Forced Accused to Flee

The victim told investigators that she could hear her fiancé screaming from a distance during the assault.

Police said the accused fled into the nearby forest after officers reached the spot, leaving the woman behind.

Based on the complaint, Dharnaoda Police Station registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to attempted gang rape, assault, robbery and other offences. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was subsequently constituted to identify and arrest the accused.

Five Accused Arrested

Superintendent of Police Hitika Vasal said a reward of ₹10,000 each had been announced for information leading to the arrest of the accused.

Using technical evidence and field investigation, police arrested five suspects identified as:

• Bablu (23), resident of Borkheda

• Chhotu (28), resident of Khejra, Raghogarh

• Sardar (30), resident of Vinayaki, Raghogarh

• Mahendra (20), resident of Borkheda

• Dinesh (28), resident of Borkheda

Police said two accused remain absconding, and search operations are underway to trace and arrest them.

The investigation into the case is continuing.