NEW DELHI: The main accused in a recent rape case in Assam died after jumping into a pond while attempting to escape police custody.
The incident occurred when the accused was taken by the police to the location where the crime was allegedly committed to re-create the crime scene around 3:30 am.
During this process, he reportedly fled from custody and jumped into a nearby pond. A search operation was immediately launched, and his body was recovered after nearly two hours, police officials stated.
The accused, along with two others, had been arrested by Assam Police on Friday for allegedly gang-raping a 14-year-old girl in the Dhing area of Nagaon district on Thursday evening.
The girl was reportedly assaulted while returning home from her tuition on a bicycle. The area where the crime occurred is predominantly inhabited by a Bangla-origin immigrant Muslim community.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the incident, describing it as “an attack on indigenous Assamese people” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“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,” Sarma wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He also directed the Director General of Police (DGP) Assam to visit the site and ensure swift action against those responsible.
