Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance stance on crimes against women, asserting that swift and severe action is taken against perpetrators.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma highlighted the state’s commitment to addressing such crimes decisively. “When incidents like rape occur in Assam, the police act promptly. There is no compromise on this issue. Our policy is one of zero tolerance for crimes against women,” he said.
Sarma cited recent cases to drive his point, referring to the gangrape of a 14-year-old girl in Dhing, where the main suspect died while allegedly attempting to escape from police custody.
The 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by three persons who came on a motorcycle and surrounded her while she was returning home from tuition on her bicycle at Dhing on Thursday evening. She was left injured and unconscious on the roadside near a pond, before being rescued by locals who informed police.
Nagaon Superintendent of Police Swapneel Deka said the suspect, arrested on Friday, was being taken handcuffed for a crime scene reconstruction at around 3:30 a.m. when he attacked a policeman and fled. His body was recovered after a search by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) lasting nearly two hours. The injured policeman was hospitalised.
Villagers from Borbheti, where the suspect’s family lives, have decided to boycott his funeral and deny him burial in the village graveyard. Two other suspects are still at large, with searches ongoing.
In another case in Tezpur, an individual accused of molesting a girl was injured in police firing while reportedly trying to flee.
The Chief Minister also noted a temporary rise in rape cases following the Lok Sabha elections, but he assured that the numbers are now declining.
“After the elections, we saw an increase in cases, but they have decreased and will continue to do so,” Sarma said.
He stressed that while intelligence can sometimes predict militant or terror attacks, it is often absent in rape cases, necessitating strong immediate responses. “We must take drastic actions to instill fear and ensure that potential offenders know they will face the law,” Sarma added.