Assam: Minor girl going home from tuition allegedly gangraped, protests erupt

Assam witnessed massive protests across its streets on Friday following the alleged gangrape of a minor girl by three men in Nagaon district. The assault reportedly occurred in the Dhing area of Nagaon on Thursday and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has pledged to take strict action against those responsible.

“We will NOT SPARE anyone & BRING the perpetrators to JUSTICE. I’ve directed @DGPAssamPolice to visit the site and ensure swift action against such monsters,” Sarma posted on X.

“The criminals who dared to commit such a heinous crime against a minor Hindu girl of Dhing will not be spared by the law. I have directed the DGP and Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika to rush to Dhing and take the toughest action,” Sarma told reporters in Hailakandi on Friday.

Sarma claimed that since the Lok Sabha elections, “members of a specific community have been indulging in criminal activities. However, we will take strong action against the offenders, and no one will be exempt.”

On Friday morning, people from various segments of society took to the streets, calling for the arrest of the perpetrators. Shopkeepers closed their businesses, while social and political groups demanded harsh penalties for the offenders and increased security for women and girls, according to news agency PTI. Tensions in the area remained high, leading to heightened police patrols and vigilance.

A video released by news agency ANI showed a large group of men and women marching through the Dhing area of Nagaon, chanting “We want justice” in response to the rape of the minor girl.

During the press briefing, chief minister Sarma further noted that in the past two months, there have been 22 incidents of crimes against women, with this being the 23rd such case in the state.

“In Lower and central Assam and Barak Valley districts, where indigenous people have become a numeric minority, they are living in constant fear. People outside these regions cannot gauge this harsh reality,” he said.

The chief minister urged all to be sensitive about indigenous people’s issues. “We should identify the real perpetrators behind these heinous crimes and not be stuck in blaming communities within the Hindu society,” Sarma said.

The girl, according to the police was reportedly attacked and raped by three people while she was riding her bicycle home from tuition in the Dhing area around 8 pm on Thursday.

The three assailants arrived on a motorcycle, encircled her, and then allegedly raped her before abandoning her injured and unconscious by a roadside pond. The class 10 student was later found and rescued by residents, who notified the police.

She was first brought to a health centre in Dhing and transferred to a hospital in Nagaon for further treatment and medical examination. According to the police, one suspect has already been arrested, another has been detained, and efforts are underway to capture the remaining people.

DGP G P Singh, accompanied by district police officials, visited Dhing to inspect the crime scene, PTI reported.