Assam: Two accused of raping minors gunned down by police

Guwahati, March 16 (PTI): Two persons, prime accused in the rapes of two girls of whom one has died, were gunned down by Assam Police in separate incidents while allegedly trying to escape from custody, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

Both the accused were arrested on Tuesday, and they were being taken to their respective crime scenes in Guwahati and a tea garden in Udalguri for further investigation when both attempted to flee custody after midnight, Special Director General of Police G P Singh told reporters here.

In the first incident in Guwahati, the accused allegedly attacked the police personnel who then opened fire at him. The accused was taken to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared brought dead.

GMCH Superintendent Abhijit Sharma said he was brought to the hospital around 1 AM with four bullet injuries in his body.

“He had no heart beat when he was brought here. We have kept his body in the morgue and will hand it over to his family after conducting post-mortem examination,” Sharma said.

Police said that two women personnel were also injured in the attack by the accused, but they were out of danger.

The accused, who was absconding since the mother of the girl filed a complaint with the police on March 8, was arrested on Tuesday from Dampur area in Kamrup district.

The 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at a hotel in Guwahati by five men, two of whom had assaulted her on an earlier occasion too, police had said.

As per the complaint lodged by the minor’s mother, two of the five culprits, who had first sexually assaulted the girl on February 16 and videographed it, allegedly threatened to leak the clip if she revealed the matter to anyone.

On February 19, however, the accused, promising to delete the video, met the girl again in another hotel, and along with others forced themselves on her.

A search operation is underway to nab the other accused, police added.

In the other incident, the accused had allegedly raped and killed an eight-year-old girl in a tea garden in Udalguri district on March 10 and the child’s body was recovered the next day, Singh said.

The accused was arrested from a factory in Changsari area in Kamrup district and he attempted to escape following which he was shot dead by the police.

The special DGP said that the police has taken strong steps against organised crimes on the direction of the Chief Minister’s Office and the rate of crime has declined considerably.

”We urge people not to indulge in such crimes as the police will spare none involved in such activities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Singh, tweeted on Wednesday, “Rape represents regressive mindset of controlling, scarring and destroying a girl/women’s mind and body. Assam Police would use all instruments of law to fight this evil. As a father and a cop, grateful to @CMOfficeAssam for crystal clear directions to this effect.”

Assam has witnessed a spurt in police encounters since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office on May 10 last year, as 39 people have been killed and at least 89 injured in such incidents since then.

Sarma had on Tuesday said in the assembly that crime rate decreased in the state following police action on alleged criminals when they attempt to escape from custody or attack personnel.

He asserted there has been a 30 per cent decline in the crime rate, taking into account the number of cases registered in police stations during January-February of 2021 as compared to the same period this year.

Action has also been initiated against police officers who have acted outside the ambit of law, Sarma added.