Small gang rape case in Assam: Accused dies after drowning in a pond while fleeing from police

Locals protest against the gang rape of a 14-year-old minor girl in Dhing district of Nagaon on Friday (August 23, 2024). File | Image Credit: ANI

An accused in connection with the alleged gang rape of a minor girl in Nagaon district of central Assam drowned while trying to escape from custody around 3.30 am, police said on Saturday (August 24, 2024).

The police had brought the accused, identified as Tafiqul alias Tafazzul Islam, to the crime scene near a roadside pond in Dhing area.

Nagaon police commissioner Swapnanil Deka said it was dark when the accused, handcuffed and tied to a rope by a police officer, tried to escape.

“After interrogation, he (the accused) was taken to the crime scene. But he tried to escape and fell into a pond filled with water. The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) was informed and they recovered the body after a search,” he said.

“A police officer who was holding the rope on the accused's handcuffs sustained injuries. We are investigating the incident and are looking for two other suspects in the case,” said Mr Deka.

The 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three men on a two-wheeler on Thursday evening as she was cycling home from school. Some locals found her lying unconscious about an hour later and informed the police.

She was admitted to a local hospital, which referred her to Nagaon Medical College and Hospital, about 25 kilometers away.

The alleged gang rape sparked outrage across Assam, with protesters demanding harsh punishment for the perpetrators.

A man accused of sexual abuse in another district was shot in the leg around midnight Friday while trying to escape from police custody.

A police official in Sonitpur district of central north Assam said two young girls were groped by two men during their usual evening stroll in Tezpur town on Friday night. The girls raised an alarm and locals arrested one of the two men, identified as Shah Rukh Hussain, and handed him over to the police.

The other man, identified as Miraz Ali, managed to escape but was caught by the police a few hours later. “He tried to snatch the pistol from one of our men. To prevent him from escaping, he was shot in the right leg. He has been admitted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital,” a police official said.

Police also resorted to caning to disperse a mob that had surrounded the Mahabhairab police station in Tezpur till 1 am demanding strict action against the sexual harassment accused.