TURA: Police in Assam have arrested the man who lured a 17-year-old girl from the Tikrikilla region of West Garo Hills to elope with him which ended in tragedy after she died from a case of poisoning, this week. The accused was arrested shortly after he had been discharged from a private hospital in Goalpara on Thursday night.
The arrested 22-year-old man, Mahabul Hoque from Bhimganj village under Lakhipur police station in Goalpara district, had allegedly courted the 17-year-old girl and lured her into eloping on Tuesday. She was found dead the next day from a suspected case of poisoning in his village while Hoque was admitted to a hospital with similar symptoms.
With the parents of the girl filing an FIR with Tikrikilla police over the kidnapping and death of their daughter, Garo Hills police acted swiftly registering a case of abduction and abetment to murder against the youth and also dispatched a wireless message to the Goalpara police seeking his custody.
However, since the death of the teenager occurred in the neighbouring state, Assam police have also registered a case and arrested Hoque. An arrest warrant is also out on his parents for abetment in the crime and before police could land in their house the couple have fled and gone into hiding.
“Assam police have arrested and obtained police custody of the accused and once their custody gets over we will take him in,” informed West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar.
The abduction and subsequent death of the young girl in the neighbouring state had led to anger and concern with organizations such as the Nokmas and Gaonburas association and the A’chik Youth Council terming the incident as nothing short of murder. They had demanded the immediate arrest of the accused.
In the light of heightened tension over the incident, police from both the states have each deputed a gazetted officer to supervise and liaison with each other for an efficient and effective fool proof investigation into the case.
“Both Goalpara SP and myself are coordinating the case on a day to day basis also,” informed the SP Kumar.
He also revealed that the viscera of the teenage victim (internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen) have been sent to the State Forensic Laboratory (FSL) for histopathological and toxicological examination to ascertain the cause of death and the kind of poisonous substance used.
With the arrest of the prime suspect in Assam, Garo Hills police are continuing with their investigation and statements of the complainant and family members of the victim have been recorded which will be produced in court during the trial.