Massive protests broke out in the Nagaon district of Assam, following reports of a 14-year-old girl being allegedly gang-raped while returning home from her tuition classes on Friday.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday evening in the Dhing area, and the police have arrested one person in connection with the crime.
In response to the incident, locals have called for an indefinite bandh till the suspects are arrested.
According to the police, three individuals on a motorcycle surrounded the minor girl around 8 pm on Thursday. They allegedly assaulted and raped her before leaving her injured and unconscious on the roadside by a pond.
The class 10 student was later rescued by locals, who informed the police.
Initially, the girl was taken to a medical centre in Dhing, and later, she was shifted to a hospital in Nagaon for further treatment and medical examination.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has promised stern action against those who are responsible.
“The criminals who dared to commit such a heinous crime against a minor Hindu girl of Dhing will not be spared by the law. I have directed the DGP and Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika to rush to Dhing and take the toughest action,” said Sarma.
The chief minister also alleged that after the Lok Sabha elections, “a section of members of a particular community have become very active and have been encouraged to commit such crimes. We will, however, come down heavily on the perpetrators, and nobody will be spared.”
Assam DGP GP Singh said: “Yesterday at around 6:30 pm, one reprehensible incident took place here, and one hour later, the SP informed me about the incident, and immediately we informed the Chief Minister. I directed the SP to visit the site and start the investigation. The victim is a 14-year-old girl. A case has been registered under the POSCO Act. Yesterday, I was in touch with the SP and updated the Chief Minister also. As per the directive of the Chief Minister, I came here. I visited the site and also the house of the victim and spoke with her family members. I also spoke with the police officials. As of now, police have nabbed one suspect, and there is lots of evidence. I think that we will be able to get mobile data within a short time. The investigation is ongoing in the right way.”
Further, Sarma highlighted that in the last two months, 22 such crimes against women have taken place, and this was the 23rd such incident in the state.
“In Lower and central Assam and Barak Valley districts, where indigenous people have become a numeric minority, they are living in constant fear. People outside these regions cannot gauge this harsh reality,” he added.
