Guwahati: An accused in the alleged gangrape of a minor girl in Dhing in Assam’s Nagaon district died while attempting to escape from police custody, district Superintendent of Police Swapnaneel Deka confirmed Saturday.
The incident took place Thursday evening when the minor was allegedly waylaid by three motorcycle-borne men while cycling home from her tuition classes. Locals in the area immediately informed the police when they found her lying on the side of a road in a semi-conscious state almost an hour after the alleged crime was committed.
Acting swiftly, Nagaon police detained Tafiqul Islam Friday, while the two other suspects remain “absconding”, the police said.
Speaking to ThePrint Saturday morning about the accused’s attempted escape, SP Deka said, “It happened at 4 am, and we recovered the body around 5.15-5.30 am. While he was taken to the scene of crime, he pushed our constable and tried to escape. While trying to do that, he slipped and fell into the pond nearby. We tried to rescue him, but couldn’t.”
The police then took help of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to recover the body, he added.
Tafiqul Islam was a resident of a village located a few kilometres from the site of the incident. The body has been sent for postmortem.
On Thursday, after she was found by the locals, the minor was first taken to a local health center in Dhing and later transferred to Nagaon Medical College and Hospital for treatment and examination. Following directions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister Pijush Hazarika visited the hospital to check on her and, speaking to the media, said that while she was in shock, she was out of danger.
The incident in the minority-dominated district led to a massive protest Friday with locals demanding exemplary punishment for the accused and calling for an indefinite shutdown of shops and business establishments. Demonstrations were also held in Upper Assam’s Sivasagar district. The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) had issued a statement, demanding capital punishment for those found guilty.
Comparing the action taken against culprits involved in crime against women in Assam and West Bengal, Chief Minister Sarma Friday said that government should take “immediate” and “aggressive” action against any such incident.
“In Bengal, the government did not take such action. That’s why people are upset,” he said.
“The public should be mindful of the government taking strict action… Soon after the Dhing incident, I directed the DGP to visit Dhing, and also sent a minister to the district. And, in due course, we are certainly going to take strong action in this regard.”
Sarma had taken to social media earlier that day stating that the government will “not spare anyone and bring the perpetrators to justice”.
The horrific incident at Dhing, involving a minor, is a crime against humanity and has struck our collective conscience.
We will NOT SPARE anyone & BRING the perpetrators to JUSTICE. I've directed @DGPAssamPolice to visit the site and ensure swift action against such monsters.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 23, 2024
Responding to the CM, DGP Singh assured “firm lawful action”.
Sir, We would take firm lawful action. Warm regards. https://t.co/JEC6EOahjN
— GP Singh (@gpsinghips) August 23, 2024
CM Sarma later told journalists that this was the 23rd such case of crime against women in Assam.
“This is the 23rd such incident since the Lok Sabha election where certain people have been found involved. Such people have got encouragement after the parliamentary election. We will take the toughest possible action,” he said.
“In Assam, particularly lower Assam, central Assam, and Barak Valley, the local indigenous people live in a state of terror. The more our people understand this fact, the better,” Sarma continued, ensuring “legal action” in the Dhing incident.
He also said that places where the indigenous people have been turned into minorities have often witnessed such incidents. He added, it is “an irony that the indigenous people have not realised who their friends and enemies were”.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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