GUWAHATI: Assam Police have arrested three teenagers, including a 17-year-old boy, for allegedly raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl in Hailakandi district.
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According to the investigating officers, the victim was allegedly involved in an affair with one of the accused persons.
The 16-year-old girl was found dead at her home near National Highway-6 in Assam's Hailakandi district on Saturday night. The family claimed that she was raped and brutally murdered.
Police initially detained five youths in connection with the case on Sunday. By Monday, three teenagers aged between 17 and 19 were formally arrested.
Hailakandi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amitab Sinha said one of the accused is 17-and-a-half years old. However, citing the alleged brutality of the crime, police have appealed to the court to try the juvenile as an adult.
The incident took place in the Aloichora area under Katlichera police station at 11 PM on Saturday. The victim's family said they were attending a feast at a nearby relative's house at the time.
"It's a neighbourhood where many members of the same extended family live together, and her family members were not far away when the incident happened," the SSP said.
Recalling the events leading up to the incident, the victim's mother said her daughter had attended the family feast but returned home after an argument with a cousin.
"She was there 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, it was a horrible scene," her mother said.
She said her body was found lying on the floor, almost unrecognisable.
The victim's sister alleged that the attackers used utensils and other objects to mutilate the body after the assault.
A senior police officer on Monday said the victim's body bore multiple severe injuries, with the injuries indicating that she had allegedly been tortured using different objects. The officer further said her private parts had been mutilated.
Additional superintendent of police, Hailakandi, Samir Dapar Baruah said that the three accused have been arrested under section 65 (1) (raping a girl under the age of 16), 103 (1) (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Police said the arrested accused were produced before the court on Monday. However, officials declined to share further details, stating that the investigation was at a crucial stage.
Appealing for restraint, SSP Sinha urged the public and social media users not to circulate or disclose sensitive details related to the case.
"We have appealed to the common people as well as the social media users not to reveal sensitive information regarding the incident. We understand the sentiment of the public, but we need to understand the sensitivity of the case," he said.
The SSP said the motive behind the alleged murder is yet to be established. Preliminary investigations, however, indicate that the accused were known to the victim and were familiar with her house.
"They knew where to go and when to go. There were communications between the girl and the boys and we are investigating this further. However, we cannot come to any quick conclusion. We can only say that a thorough investigation is underway," he added.
Police said teams from the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) are examining evidence collected during the investigation, including sharp objects allegedly used in the assault, forensic samples collected from the victim's body, and material recovered from the crime scene.
The incident sparked massive protests in Hailakandi and other parts of Assam's Barak Valley. In Hailakandi, locals on Sunday blocked the NH-6 connecting Assam and Mizoram, with protests continuing on Monday as well.