By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In yet another case of crime against minors, a 7-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her uncle, Nepol M Marak, at Purakhasia village in Dalu Tehsil, West Garo Hills District on Monday evening.
The case was registered on Tuesday and the victim is being shifted to Tura since the Dalu PHC staff refused to conduct the medical examination, police informed, even as they mentioned that the accused is absconding.
This is the fifth rape case to be recorded in the State in the past one week.
The latest rape case comes a day after reports of two rape cases in Jaintia Hills involving a 7-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl respectively.
Last week, two more cases had been registered – the rape of a five-year-old girl in South West Garo Hills and the recovery of a girl’s body from Ri-Bhoi district who had been sexually assaulted and then murdered.
When contacted, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi said the case relating to the rape of the minor in South West Garo Hills would be transferred to the Tura Fast Track Court with the consent of the SWGH Deputy Commissioner soon after the chargesheet is filed.
Bakshi also expressed concern over the rise of crime against children in ‘matrilineal Meghalaya’ and stressed on the need to conduct awareness campaigns all over the State to make the people aware of the offence and the punishment thereafter in such cases.
“It is shocking to note such an alarming increase in crime against women especially children in the State and the frequent occurrence of these offences somehow reflects our acceptance of child rape in matrilineal Meghalaya,” Bakshi said.
