Prime Accused in Assam Minor’s Gang-Rape Dies After Escaping Police Custody

In a shocking turn of events in Assam’s Nagaon district, the prime accused in the gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl died after allegedly escaping police custody and jumping into a pond. The incident occurred early Saturday when police took the suspect, Tafazul Islam, to the crime scene for a re-enactment of the attack, which took place two days earlier.

The assault, which happened as the girl was returning home from tuition, sparked widespread outrage and protests. Locals discovered the injured and unconscious girl near a roadside pond and immediately informed the authorities.

Islam, who was arrested on Friday, managed to flee while handcuffed and jumped into the nearby pond. Despite an immediate search operation by police and the SDRF team, his body was recovered two hours later.

So far, one other suspect has been arrested, and another is detained as police continue the search for the third accused. Assam’s Director General of Police, GP Singh, reviewed the investigation on Friday, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasized the need for swift and decisive action against those committing atrocities against women. Sarma also suggested a rise in criminal activities from a particular community post-Lok Sabha elections, vowing strict punishment for the perpetrators involved in this heinous crime.