Arrested for rape, Meghalaya police officer escapes from custody

Shillong: A police officer arrested for raping two minor girls escaped from police custody in Meghalaya`s West Garo Hills district Sunday, a district official said. "Nurul Islam, who was in charge of the Ampati police station, and was arrested yesterday (Saturday) on charges of raping two sisters, escaped from police custody this morning (Sunday) from Tura (the district headquarters town of West Garo Hills)," Ram Singh, district magistrate of South West Garo Hills, told IANS.

Ampati, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, is the district headquarters town of South West Garo Hills, which is about 375 km from here. Singh said Islam was shifted from Ampati to Tura after people became agitated and gathered in front of the police station. Islam, who is now placed under suspension, allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl inside the Ampati police station March 13. Later on March 31, he raped her sister, 17, at gun point in their house. The officer had threatened to kill both the victims if they dared to inform anyone about the crime. "Islam had not only threatened to kill them, but even threatened to implicate them in criminal cases," the district magistrate said. Meghalaya Police have stepped up efforts to arrest the absconding police officer. IANS