Assam minor gang-rape prime accused drowns in pond after fleeing custody: Police

Superintendent of police (SP), Nagaon, Swapnaneel Deka, said the accused identified as Tafazzul Islam, was being taken to the area where the alleged incident took place on August 22 as a part of the investigation

Silchar: The prime accused in the alleged gang-rape incident in Assam’s Nagaon district, who was arrested on Friday, died after falling into a pond during an investigation, police said.

(ANI Photo)

Superintendent of police (SP), Nagaon, Swapnaneel Deka, said the accused identified as Tafazzul Islam, was being taken to the area where the alleged incident took place on August 22 as a part of the investigation, but attacked the police team and tried to flee.

“As a part of the investigation, our team took him to the spot last night, but he suddenly attacked the police and jumped into a pond located nearby. After nearly two hours of searching, his unconscious body was recovered,” Deka said.

The incident took place in the wee hours on Saturday around 4am and after two hours, the Assam fire and emergency services fished out his body, said the SP. He was taken to a government hospital, where the doctors declared him dead, he added.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Assam fire and emergency services, and police jointly conducted the search operation.

A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men in the Nagaon district on Thursday, triggering massive protests by people on the streets.

The girl was left injured and unconscious on the roadside near a pond before being rescued by locals, according to the police.

Islam was one of the three accused. He was arrested on Friday under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and other sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said.

On Friday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reacted strongly to the alleged incident and said, “We will NOT SPARE to anyone.”

“The horrific incident at Dhing, involving a minor, is a crime against humanity and has struck our collective conscience. We will NOT SPARE anyone & BRING the perpetrators to JUSTICE. I’ve directed @DGPAssamPolice to visit the site and ensure swift action against such monsters,” he wrote on X.

According to Sarma, as many as 23 cases of rape have been reported across Assam since June 4, this year. He said that such crimes are on the rise in the areas where the indigenous population is decreasing.

Assam police chief Gyanendra Pratap Singh, who visited Dhing on Friday, said they have adequate evidence against the arrested person and further investigation is going on.

After Islam’s death, locals in his village have refused to take part in his last rites.