Family files complaint after minor gives birth in NGH

TURA, April 15: The family of a 14-year-old girl from North Garo Hills has filed a police complaint against a trader from Assam who frequently visited their house after their daughter gave birth to a child last week.
The trader in question runs a hardware store on the National Highway and is involved in various trades for which he would generally visit many villages, and it was during one of those visits that he met and befriended the minor victim.
Incidentally the father of the victim was also in the employ of the accused who apparently hails from near Lakhipur in Assam’s Goalpara.
According to the complaint, the victim developed stomach pains and was shifted to a hospital last week where she gave birth to a child to the shock of the parents.
“She is healthy and as such we could not make out any problem with her. It was only after she gave birth that we came to understand what took place. We tried to find out about the father and she was initially reluctant to tell us. She finally relented under pressure and informed on what happened,” informed the father of the victim.
While initially there was hesitancy in filing the FIR, the family held consultation with their  clan members and thereafter lodged a formal complaint.
According to sources, the accused had been sexually assaulting the 14-year-old for over a year now and it only came to light after the girl gave birth.
Further the District Child Protection Officer also visited the family on Monday afternoon to take stock of the situation as did the local district women police.
“A formal complaint has been filed by the family and we are on the lookout for the accused. He should be in custody soon,” informed North Garo Hills Superintendent of Police, Abraham T Sangma.