One person was arrested by the police from Lahowal area of Dibrugarh district on Sunday on charge of raping a 14-year-old minor girl inside a tea garden. The accused identified as Bhaijan Ali was booked under the POSCO Act and section 376 of the IPC. The police have also detained four accomplice of the accused on charge of helping the main accused.
Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra and Additional SP (Headquarters) Bitul Chetia visited the site of the crime scene and have started investigations.
Police said that the girl was discovered in an unconscious state by locals with her hands and legs bounded with ropes among the thick tea bushes of Athabari tea estate of Lahowal, 12-km away from Dibrugarh town, on Sunday morning. The minor who is a resident of Bebejia village of Lahowal was allegedly abducted by the accused from the road while she had gone to a shop alone on the evening of February 3.
Police said during preliminary investigation it has come to light that the accused kept the minor girl bounded among the tea bushes inside the tea garden and repeatedly raped the girl for two days. The girl was found in an emaciated state and was sent to the Assam Medical College and Hospital for health check-up and medical examination.
Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra said, “The victim who is a minor girl has stated that the accused Bhaijan Ali forcefully took her inside the tea garden where she was bounded by ropes and raped repeatedly for two days. We have arrested the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and section 376 of the IPC. Four accomplice of the rape accused have also been detained for helping the accused and withholding information. They may be arrested after the completion of interrogation.”
Photo of police at the crime scene.
