Assam teen dies after gang rape; 2 arrested

A 14-year-old girl died after allegedly being kidnapped and gang-raped by three men in Assam, India. Two have been arrested, while the third is being sought.

Silchar: A 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by three men in Assam’s Hailakandi district, police said on Thursday, adding that two people have been arrested while a hunt in on for the third.

The accused were produced before the court, which sent them in police custody.

According to the police, the incident took place on Monday evening and the girl succumbed to her injuries at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) on Tuesday. The body has been handed over to the girl’s family after post-mortem examination, Hailakandi superintendent of police (SP) Leena Doley said.

“We are waiting for the post-mortem report. The exact cause of the death and whether she was gang-raped will be ascertained once we get the report,” Doley added.

Meanwhile, based on the complaint of the girl’s family, a first information report has been registered against the three accused, all in their 20s, under sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping) 376D (gang-rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the protection of children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act at the Mohanpur police station, a senior police officer said.

In their complaint, family members of the deceased have alleged that the accused, one of whom was known her, offered her and another minor girl lift in their car on Monday evening when the two were returning from private tuition, the officer added.

The accused dropped the other girl, also a minor, at her home before taking the victim to a forested area, where they allegedly raped her, police said.

“Some local residents caught them and handed over the girl to her family members,” the SP said. “A village-level meeting was called on Monday evening but at around 9pm, the girl fell sick and was rushed to SMCH.”

On Tuesday, the girl died at the hospital, following which the case was registered based on the complaint filed by her family, she added.

“We have arrested two [of the accused] while search is on fir the third. We will arrest him soon,” Hailakandi deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Surajit Choudhary said.

The accused were produced before the court, which sent them in police custody, the DSP said, adding they are investigating the case thoroughly.

After the incident, local residents and several organisations in Assam’s Barak Valley region held demonstrations, demanding capital action for the accused and the case be heard in a fast-track court.

“We need to fight the case strongly in the court because protests don’t influence the judgments,” lawyer and activist Samrat Dutta from Silchar posted on social media. “I am ready to give the victim’s family free legal support.”