Assam: Gang rape accused shot dead by police while trying to escape

Guwahati: Main accused in the gang-rape of a minor girl was shot dead by the police in wee hours on Wednesday after he was trying to flee from the police custody.

Police said that the incident happened when the accused was accompanied by the police on the crime for further investigation and attempted to flee, police claimed. Police then opened fire at the man.

The accused was taken to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared brought dead.

Guwahati Medical College Hospital Superintendent Abhijit Sharma said he was brought to the hospital at around 1 am, and there were four bullet injuries in his body.

According to the police, two female employees were also injured by the accused, but they are out of danger. The accused was arrested on Tuesday, from the Dampur area of Kamrup district after he had been absconding since the mother of the girl filed a complaint on March 8.

The 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at a hotel in Guwahati by five men, two of whom had assaulted her on an earlier occasion, too, police had said.

As per the complaint lodged by the minor's mother, two of the five culprits, who had first sexually assaulted the girl on February 16 and shot a video of the act, blackmailed the girl to leak the clip if she disclose the matter to anyone.

On February 19, however, the two men, promising to delete the video, met the girl again in another hotel and along with others forced themselves on her.

A search operation is underway to nab the other accused, police added. (UNI)