Assam CM visits family of 2 girls found hanging

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday met the family of two minor sisters who were found hanging from a tree in Kokrajhar district of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and directed police to probe both murder and suicide angles in the case

Published on: Jun 13, 2021, 23:27:37 IST

By Utpal Parashar, GUWAHATI

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday met the family of two minor sisters who were found hanging from a tree in Kokrajhar district of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and directed police to probe both murder and suicide angles in the case.

The family of the deceased has alleged that the sisters, aged 14 and 16, were raped and murdered.

Five persons have been arrested so far, police said.

“The family members of the victims said that there was no reason for them to commit suicide. The entire incident appears mysterious. That’s why I came to interact with the family and held discussions with officials, seeking details on the incident,” Sarma told reporters.

The two sisters were found hanging from a tree inside a small forest away from their home on Friday evening. The deceased’s family told local media that the sisters went missing on Friday afternoon.

The bodies of the victims were sent to Kokrajhar civil hospital on Saturday for post-mortem. The reports of the examination are awaited.

“If it is a murder, the accused should be arrested and given appropriate punishment. If it is a case of suicide, then the probe should be on what led the sisters to commit the act. I have directed the police to probe both these angles,” he added.

“The role of some persons is suspected and police have already detained five persons for questioning. Two of them were found to have deleted all the messages from their mobile phones but there is evidence of them making calls, lasting for over an hour, to the victims,” the chief minister said.

Sarma said such incidents (of crimes against women) were taking place in districts of lower Assam and that a sense of insecurity had developed among the residents here.

“I came to visit the family in order to convey a message to all that my government won’t tolerate any such incident, especially those targeting the poor and oppressed sections,” he said.

“We have arrested five persons in connection with the incident and are questioning them. The arrested persons are residents of the area to which the victims belonged. The post-mortem reports will give further leads on the exact nature of the deaths. Further investigations are on,” Kokrajhar superintendent of police Thube Prateek Vijay Kumar said.

The chief minister was accompanied by BTR chief executive member Pramod Boro, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) legislator Lawrence Islary and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashok Singhi.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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