Number of accused in custody swells to 16
SHILLONG: Three more persons who were accused of raping the 14-year-old girl surrendered before the Court on Tuesday, and were subsequently sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
With this, the number of persons, who were either arrested or surrendered before the Court and the police in connection with the sex racket case has risen to 16.
The three persons hailing from Ichamati surrendered before the Special Court (POCSO) through their lawyer Kishore Gautam.
They have been identified as Sanjit Das, Nikesh Debnath and Sarnab Das.
The surrender of the trio came after an FIR lodged by Chairperson of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Meena Kharkongor before the Laban police station on January 18 accusing them of sexually exploiting the girl at the Rilbong guest house.
As per the FIR, the girl had addressed them as mama (uncle).
The FIR of the girl lodged on December 16 last resulted in the arrest of Mawhati MLA Julius Dorphang among others. Among those arrested also include the traffickers, pimps and varied clients.
There are some more persons including a professor of an institute, whom the girl had named, but they are yet to be arrested.