A minor died in Assam’s Nagaon district on Friday after she was gang-raped by three – two of them juveniles – and set on fire.
The incident happened at Lalunggaon, about 125 km from Guwahati, under the Batadraba police station on Friday evening.
Police said the Class V student, died of more than 95% burns. Local residents found her in a critical condition and admitted her to the Nagaon Civil Hospital from where she was transferred to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
The police said the accused – Jakir Hussain, 21, and the two juveniles belonging to the same village of the victim, raped the girl when she was alone at home, doused her with kerosene and set her on fire.
“We arrested the two teenagers on Friday and are searching for the third,” Shankar Brata Raimedhi, Nagaon District Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu.
Absconder's house destroyed
People of Lalunggaon on Saturday destroyed absconder Jakir Hussain’s house. Students’ organisation such as the All Assam Students’ Union carried out protest rallies demanding stern action against the accused.
“The age of the culprits should not come in the way of punishment in such a heinous crime,” local MP and junior Railway Minister Rajen Gohain said.
Several MLAs have sought a specific law to deal with crimes against women. “Rapists deserve death penalty,” Suman Haripriya, BJP legislator, said.
Friday’s was the second case of gang rape in Nagaon district in eight days. On March 16, eight men gang-raped a woman in a jungle near Kampur after stalking her in a train. All eight were arrested the next day.
