Parents of Mizoram girl, who died due to sexual assault, to undergo polygraph test
The Mizoram police filed a suo moto case against the parents of a two-year-old girl after the child died due to suspected sexual assault in Aizwal district on September 16
The Mizoram police have decided to conduct lie detector tests on the parents of a two-year-old girl who died due to suspected sexual assault in Aizwal district on September 16, a senior official said on Saturday.
This will be the first polygraph test conducted by the Mizoram police in a crime investigation, the official added.
The girls’ parents were arrested in early October when the police filed a suo moto case under relevant sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after examination of the girl’s body confirmed that she was sexually assaulted before her death in a private hospital in Aizawl.
Mizoram inspector general of police (headquarters), John Neihlaia said that the girl’s parents have already consented to undergo the polygraph tests.
“They will be taken to Chandigarh as the polygraph instrument is not available with the state police,” he said.
According to deputy inspector general of police (headquarters), Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, the lie-detector test, if used, would be the first in the state.
Aizawl superintendent of police (SP) C. Lalruaia said that the two accused are now under judicial custody and the police will seek remand for the polygraph tests.
Earlier, the police in a statement said that even though the child was diagnosed to have died of acute Loryngotracheobrontis (ALTB) with severe respiratory distress, when her body was being prepared to be handed over to her family some unnatural signs were spotted at her private parts, which could indicate sexual assault.
The child’s body was examined again by specialised doctors in the government-run Aizawl civil hospital during which old healed wounds were found on her private parts, it said.
The police then registered a suo-moto case on September 20 and launched a rigorous investigation during which many people, including the child’s parents, grandparents, other relatives and local leaders of the girl’s locality were questioned.
The girl’s father was arrested on October 1 and her mother on October 3 as they appeared to be the prime suspects in the case.
They were booked under Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act and Section 376AB (rape on a woman below 12 years old) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Earlier on September 29, social activist Vanramchhuangi filed a first information report (FIR) alleging that the child’s parents were the prime suspects and demanded their immediate arrest.
A few days later, the girl’s family also filed an FIR denying the allegations.
C. Lalruaia said that the two FIRs were not registered as the suo-moto case was already registered for the same incident and the case is under investigation.
The death of the child sparked outrage with residents of her locality in Aizawl and social activists staging protest rallies demanding justice for her in September.
