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Assam man, 63, kills teen after she becomes pregnant, dumps body in septic tank
Jagat Singh had been accused of sexually exploiting several women who approached him for practising “black magic”
SILCHAR: A 63-year-old man who had been allegedly raping a teenager killed her after failing to get her to terminate her pregnancy and dumped her body in his house’s septic tank in Assam’s Jorhat district, police said on Monday after arresting the local businessman.
Police identified the prime suspect as Jagat Singh. His two sons and a chemist have also been arrested for not reporting the victim’s abuse under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, said Jorhat senior superintendent of police (SSP) Subhrajyoti Bora. Singh had roped them in to terminate the pregnancy, which was in its eighth month.
As word about Singh’s arrest spread on Monday, a large number of people staged a protest outside Titabar Police Station in Jorhat. The protesters said Singh, who was also known in the area as someone who practised black magic, had been accused of sexually exploiting several women who had approached him in the past.
“This man lured women in the name of magical remedies and had been exploiting them for years. But no one dared to speak against him. Now, a young girl has become his victim. We demand the death penalty for him,” a man who was among those protesting said.
Bora told HT that the victim, who turned 18 years just two months ago, had gone missing on the evening of November 7. In their complaint, her family pointed fingers at Jagat Singh and he was questioned about the girl.
“Initially, he denied any involvement, but on the night of November 9, he confessed to having an illicit relationship with the girl, who became pregnant in the process. He killed her after failing to terminate the pregnancy,” Bora said.
Singh allegedly told police that he hid the body in a septic tank at his house.
“The body was retrieved from the septic tank at 4 am on Monday and sent to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) for post-mortem examination. “We are investigating the matter further,” the SSP said.
Police said the victim was 18 years and two months old at the time of her death, and was about eight months pregnant. Accordingly, sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, have been added to the case, as she was reportedly underage when the sexual relationship began.
Jorhat district magistrate (DM) Jay Shivani said that a joint team of the district administration and police found an ashram-like setup inside Singh’s residence. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the case.
Following his detention, Singh at one point attempted to die by suicide but was rescued by guards and taken to the hospital for treatment.
His two sons, Jivan Singh and Kishan Singh, both in their 30s, and a chemist, Rekibuddin Ahmed, who allegedly agreed to assist him in terminating the pregnancy, have been arrested.
Singh had taken the girl to the chemist for an abortion, but was told it was too late. “We have arrested Singh’s two sons and the chemist under POCSO as they were aware that the girl was a minor and failed to alert the authorities,” Bora said.
