Assam Dhing Gang Rape: Prime Accused Dies After Escaping Police Custody, Body Recovered

Police have recovered the body of the prime accused of Dhing gang rape on Saturday morning.

New Delhi: The prime accused in the rape of a minor girl in the Dhing area of Assam allegedly escaped from police custody, jumped into a pond and died on Saturday, police said.

Police have recovered the body of the prime accused of Dhing gang rape, Tafazul Islam, on Saturday morning.

Swapnaneel Deka, Superintendent of Police of Nagaon district said that that on Friday police arrested Tafazul Islam in connection with the case.

#WATCH | The body of the prime accused of the Dhing gang rape incident in Assam's Nagaon district, Tafazul Islam recovered from a pond. The police had earlier arrested him in connection with the case.

"When a police team took him last night to the spot for investigation where… pic.twitter.com/ow29EJ37j7

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2024

"When a police team took him last night to the spot for investigation where the incident took place, the prime accused tried to flee and jumped into a pond located nearby the site. Our police personnel engaged in a search operation and with the help of the SDRF team we recovered his body from the pond today morning," he said, ANI reported. 

The senior police official added that the operations are underway to apprehend the other two remaining accused persons.

On August 22, a 14-year-old minor girl was allegedly gang-raped by three persons in the Dhing area of Assam when she was returning to home from tuition classes.

The incident sparked widespread protests in the Dhing area, with locals and various organisations demanding stringent action against the culprits.

On Friday, Assam Director General of Police, GP Singh visited the scene met the victim's family, and conferred with senior police officials.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said, "When there is any atrocity against women, we need to take prompt action."

Speaking about the incident, according to ANI, Sarma said, "I would like to say just one thing. When there is any atrocity against women, we need to take prompt action. But the public should see that the government is taking strict action. When people feel that the government is showing laxity, they get angry. When such incidents take place, the government should take very aggressive action. The government in Bengal didn't do it, so people got angry,"