GUWAHATI, July 2: The prime accused in the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in central Assam’s Morigaon district, was shot at by police when he tried to escape under the garb of answering nature’s call in the wee hours of Friday.
Sixty-five-year-old Syed Ali sustained bullet injuries in his knees, and is currently undergoing treatment at Guwahati Medical College Hospital here.
Special director-general of police G.P Singh informed that the accused, “while being taken for reconstruction of scene of crime tried to escape under garb of answering nature’s call. Subsequently, Morigaon police had to use lawful minimum force to prevent escape.”
“He has been injured with bullet injury in the knee and taken to hospital for treatment,” Singh said on Friday morning.
Ali was arrested by Assam Police on the night of June 26.
The minor girl was found dead in a jute field at Balidunga village, near the Brahmaputra river, on June 20 and while preliminary investigation suggested she was raped and murdered, the accused later confessed to committing the horrendous crime.
The arrest of Ali, locally known as Patha, came in less than two days after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked Morigaon police to expedite the investigation and directed Morigaon superintendent of police, Aparna Natarajan to catch the culprits and hand them exemplary punishment in accordance with the law of the land.
The chief minister had met the minor girl’s family members and assured them of speedy justice.
Residents of the village informed that the accused had committed several heinous crimes earlier.
A section of villagers demanded that Ali be tried in a fast-track court and awarded capital punishment.
