Tripura: Sexual assault on minor girl, prime accused arrested

Agartala: Tripura Police on Saturday arrested one Sankar Das who had been named as the prime accused in a sexual assault case of a 15-year-old minor girl. The accused was initially absconding, OC West Agartala Women’s Police station Shiuli Das informed media persons.

“The incident came to light early in the morning on Friday but we received the complaint late. By the time, Police were informed, the accused fled away. Soon after receiving the complaint, we conducted thorough search operations in his locality but he was not there. Later, with the help of Amtali Police station, the accused was arrested from the house of one of his relatives located at Sekerkote,” said Das.

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According to Das, the accused is a fish vendor by profession. “The case was registered under the relevant section of BNS and POCSO,” she said. On being asked about the victim, she said, “The victim’s health condition has improved a bit but she is still under medical observation at GB Pant hospital, Agartala.”

The incident came to light on Friday morning when the minor girl was rescued by the locals from an abandoned under construction building that falls in the Western part of the city. Considering her health condition, she was taken to IGM hospital Agartala and later shifted to GB Pant hospital for advanced treatment.

It has been learnt that she was either forced to come to the abandoned building or she went there under the influence of any inducements. The accused allegedly took advantage of her loneliness in the room and left her.

Locals rescued her the next morning and got her hospitalized. Mayor Agartala Municipal Corporation and also the MLA of the area visited the victim at the hospital and assured the family that stringent possible action would be undertaken against him.

“The building in which the heinous act was committed belongs to a construction agency. The accused had been identified and I believe police would take action against him as per the law,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, family members of the girl alleged that the accused tried to convince them to withdraw the police case for an extrajudicial settlement.