Vigilant neighbours foil rape attempt on woman in Chirang’s Gossaigaon; accused held

Bijni, Sept 24: An e-rickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a woman in Chirang’s Gossaigaon on Monday.

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.

According to reports, once in the house, the offender tried to grab and gag her mouth before inappropriately touching and injuring her by biting several parts of her body.

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

“The incident took place around 12 noon when my husband sent an e-rickshaw to deliver the gas cylinder. The driver took advantage of my family’s absence and tried to commit the heinous crime,” the victim told The Assam Tribune.

The police was immediately alerted and subsequently a case was registered against Ali.

Meanwhile, the locals have demanded stringent action against the alleged offender and have called for stricter vigilance on the police’s part to curb such incidents in the future.

Of late, crimes against women have seen an unprecedented surge in the state. On September 21, Nagaon Police had arrested two accused involved in a gang-rape of a minor girl in Dhing, where another brutal gang-rape of a minor on August 22 had shaken the state.

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.