Hailakandi: Police in Assam have arrested three teenagers, including one aged 17, in the alleged rape and killing of a 16-year-old girl in Hailakandi district.
Investigators said the girl was reportedly involved in a relationship with one of the accused.
Girl Found Dead At Home
Her body was discovered at her house near National Highway-6 on Saturday night, with the family claiming she had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.
Police said five young men were first picked up on Sunday, and by Monday three boys, aged 17 to 19, had been formally arrested. A Special Investigation Team has been set up to look into the crime, as reported by NDTV.
“One of them is 17-and-a-half years old but considering the brutality of the case, we have appealed to the court to try him as an adult,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Hailakandi, Amitabh Sinha.
The crime took place in Aloichora under Katlicherra police station at about 11 pm on Saturday. According to the family, they were attending a feast at a relative’s home nearby when the incident occurred.
“She was at the feast too, but after an argument with a cousin, she left for home at 10.30 pm. We thought we’d bring some food for her later, but when we reached home around an hour later, we were horrified to see her body,” the victim’s mother said.
She said the body was lying on the floor and was almost impossible to recognise.
“It was horrible; how can a human treat another human, a little girl, in such a brutal manner,” she said, while demanding capital punishment for the accused.
The victim’s sister claimed that the assailants used utensils and other items to disfigure the body after the assault.
Investigators Examine Clues
A senior officer said on Monday that the victim’s private parts had been mutilated and the body bore deep injury marks, suggesting torture with different objects.
Hailakandi Additional SP Samir Darpan Baruah said the three accused have been booked under rape, murder and POCSO provisions, and further sections may be added as the probe advances.
“Those are the charges we have invoked at this stage, and more sections may be added as the investigation moves forward,” Baruah said, adding that additional arrests were also possible in the case.
“We have seized mobile phones of several others and are questioning them,” he added.
The accused were produced before a court, but police declined to disclose more, citing the sensitivity of the case.
“We have appealed to the people as well as social media users not to reveal sensitive information regarding the incident. We understand the sentiment but we also need to understand the sensitivity of the case,” he said.
SSP Sinha said the motive is still unclear, but the accused were known to the girl and were familiar with her house.
“They knew the house. There were communications between the girl and the boys and we are investigating this further. However, we cannot come to any conclusion. We can only say that a thorough investigation is underway,” he added.
The incident has triggered angry demonstrations in Hailakandi and elsewhere in south Assam’s Barak Valley. On Sunday, protesters blocked NH-6 — the route linking Assam and Mizoram — demanding capital punishment for the accused.