A teenage boy allegedly abducted, raped, and killed an eight-year-old girl at Madanmohan in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, adding that locals thrashed the accused before handing him over to them.
Additional police superintendent Tribhuvan Bhuyan said the accused went around looking for the girl when she was missing, pretending that he did not know anything about the incident. “He was seen pillion riding with the victim’s father when the family was searching for her. Later, he said that the girl’s father allegedly tortured him, and to avenge, he did it.”
Bhuyan said the accused initially managed to flee, but the police nabbed him. He has confessed to killing the girl but denied the rape allegations. “The body has been sent for a postmortem, and once we get the report, things will be clearer.”
Bhuyan said the girl’s family told the police that she had stepped out to play when the accused, who was known to her, took her to a jungle. Her body was later found at the same place. “He strangulated her first by hand and later used her frock. The girl’s family said that he raped her before killing, but it has to be ascertained with a medical examination yet,” he said.
Police said the boy has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s sections 103(1) (murder), 141 (abduction), 65(2) (raping a girl under 12) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police said that the accused claims to be under 18 and that the claim was being examined. “Once we ascertain the age, we will produce him before the court,” said a second officer.
Hundreds took to the streets and blocked roads in protest against the incident. The roads were cleared after top police officers intervened. The protesters said that the incident raised questions over the safety of children and demanded exemplary punishment.
