By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 29: East Khasi Hills police on Thursday arrested a 24-year-old Assam man from Jorhat in connection with two sexual assault cases involving schoolgirls, to Shillong.
Himan Gogoi was arrested in central Assam’s Jorhat on charges of molesting the minor girls in the Umsohsun and Police Bazar areas on two different occasions.
“We have applied for a transit remand, as he was produced in a Jorhat court today. Hopefully, we will be able to bring the accused to Shillong for interrogation by tonight,” East Khasi Hills SP, Vivek Syiem, told reporters, adding that the accused will be brought to Shillong by Thursday night.
At the time of filing this report, the police team and the accused were yet to reach Shillong.
He said the two victims had lodged FIRs at the Sadar Police Station and the Lumdiengjri Police Station.
“We urge any other victims who may have experienced something similar to come forward and file an FIR as well,” Syiem said.
In response to a query, the SP said the accused was working as a cook at a restaurant in Shillong, but left the job after committing the alleged crime.
“Possibly, after the CCTV footage went viral, he got alarmed and fled,” he said, adding that a case had been registered against Gogoi for a similar crime he committed in Jorhat.
Syiem insisted that videos involving minors should not be circulated on social media under any circumstances.
However, he acknowledged that without the viral CCTV footage, the case might not have come to light, and the victim might have remained silent.
“We had to trace the victim after the videos went viral. As part of our efforts, we have been urging hotels, homestays, and offices to install CCTV cameras,” he added.
The SP said the police received the viral video, showing a masked individual sexually assaulting a schoolgirl by lifting her apparel and taking photographs with a mobile phone. The incident occurred around 6:35 am on May 23. It was traced to Umsohsun, in the lane leading to the YWCA.
A special team led by Additional SP (Operations) Ivan B. Diengdoh was formed on May 26 to identify and apprehend the accused.
The victim was identified and examined, and an FIR was lodged at the Lumdiengjri Police Station with Case No. 55(05)2025, registered under Sections 76/79 of the BNS along with Sections 11/12 of the POCSO Act.
A similar incident involving another schoolgirl took place between 7:15 and 7:30 am on May 19 near the steps at Dreamland, Police Bazar. An FIR was registered at the Sadar Police Station with Case No. 140(5)2025, under Sections 7/8 of the POCSO Act.
Considering their sensitivity, the two cases were classified as special report cases.
Within three days, the accused was identified as Himan Gogoi of Jorhat. A police team under WPSI Lavinia Kongwang left for Jorhat on May 28, and in coordination with the personnel of the Lahdoigarh Outpost under the Teok Police Station, conducted a raid at Bamkukurachua village.
The accused was apprehended from the house of a relative, and the police seized the mobile phone used in the crime along with other incriminating evidence.