Prime accused in Assam gangrape case escapes police custody, jumps into pond and dies

 Police said the accused, who was arrested on August 23, was taken to the location where the crime was allegedly committed for a re-creation of the crime scene around 3.30 am

PTI, Guwahati, 24.08.24 : The prime accused in the rape of a minor girl allegedly escaped from police custody, jumped into a pond and died on Saturday morning at Dhing in Assam's Nagaon district, an official said.

Police said the accused, who was arrested on Friday, was taken to the location where the crime was allegedly committed for a re-creation of the crime scene around 3.30 am.

"The accused escaped from police custody and jumped into the pond. A search operation was launched immediately and his body was recovered after nearly two hours," police added.

The 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three persons who came in a motorcycle and surrounded her while she was returning home from tuition on her bicycle at Dhing on Thursday evening.

She was left injured and unconscious on the roadside near a pond, before being rescued by locals who informed police.

Police arrested one person and detained another while search was on to nab the third.

Director General of Police G P Singh had reviewed the progress of the investigations on Friday.

Agencies: One of the three accused involved in the gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Dhing area of Assam’s Nagaon district died after he allegedly jumped into a pond with handcuffs when the police took him to the spot to recreate the crime scene on Saturday morning.

According to the police, Taffazul Islam was arrested on Friday and was taken to the location for crime scene recreation. He then allegedly escaped the police custody and jumped into a pond.

The 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three individuals when she was returning home from the tuition centre on Thursday night.

According to police, the crime took place when the victim, riding on a bicycle, was attacked and gang raped.

The passers-by spotted the girl near a pond in the area and rushed her to a nearby hospital.

After committing the crime, the accused dropped the girl at the spot who was semi-conscious for more than an hour before being rescued by the locals.

The victim is undergoing treatment at a hospital, and her condition is stable as of now, doctors attending to her said.

The police jumped into action and arrested two individuals on suspicion of having links with the incident.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma warned of stern action against the culprits involved in the heinous crime.

He has also instructed the Director General of Police to rush to the crime scene for a quick investigation.

The Chief Minister took to social media platform X and wrote, “The horrific incident at Dhing, involving a minor, is a crime against humanity and has struck our collective conscience. We will NOT SPARE anyone and BRING the perpetrators to JUSTICE. I’ve directed the DGP of Assam Police to visit the site and ensure swift action against such monsters.”

Meanwhile, anger erupted among locals over the incident, and they kept the shops and other business establishments closed for the day in the Dhing locality as a mark of protest.

The All-Assam Students Union (AASU) has also criticised the government for the incident.