45-year-old neighbour arrested for raping minor in Cachar

Silchar, Oct 1: A 45-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old minor girl in Assam’s Cachar district on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta informed The Assam Tribune that the individual has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012.

The heinous crime took place when the minor had gone to relieve herself in the open at Chengjurai village under Katigorah constituency of the district. She was allegedly abducted by the accused and taken to an open field where he committed the crime. Reportedly, the accused is the victim's neighbour.

When the girl took longer time than usual to return home, the family members got suspicious and rushed to look for her. By the time they found the victim lying in the open field, the accused had already fled from the spot, sources said.

Subsequently, the mother of the victim filed an FIR at the Katigorah Police Station demanding strictest punishment to the culprit. Meanwhile, SP Mahatta has informed that further investigation into the case is underway.

This is the second such incident reported from the district in the past week. On September 24, an e-rickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a woman in Chirang’s Gossaigaon.

Identified as Muzaraf Ali, the accused had visited the victim’s house to deliver a LPG cylinder and taking advantage of her being alone, tried to outrage her modesty.

When the victim screamed for help, the neighbours rescued her and nabbed offender.

Earlier in August, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had revealed that 580 cases of rape have been registered in the state up to July 2024.

The list disclosed by Sarma also provided a year-wise breakdown of rape cases registered in the state since 2001 totalling 40,065 cases. The year 2019 recorded the highest number, with 3,546 cases.