Five people have been arrested in Guwahati for allegedly abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl in a homestay, police said on Monday.
Police initially arrested two youths as they were found in the same room. Two staff members of the homestay were arrested. The minor girl went missing on August 22 and her family lodged a missing report at Dadara Police Outpost of Assam’s Kamrup district on August 23, according to officials. At around 5:47am on August 24, police received information that the missing girl had been seen in the Panbazar area of Guwahati, according to Kamrup SSP Shubhashis Baruah. During the investigation, police also found that a 39-year-old man had allegedly taken the girl from Dadara to Panbazar on his scooter.
During preliminary questioning, the girl told police that she had been sexually assaulted the previous night at Rongmon Grand Hotel (Homestay) in Kerakuchi. Police arrested him later and all five will be produced before the court, officials said.
Search Efforts Locate Missing Girl
Officials from Dadara Outpost, along with family members of the missing girl, conducted a search in the area surrounding the Panbazar water tank. Their efforts led to the successful discovery of the girl, who was found safe near the tank.
Legal Charges Expanded in Abduction Case
Officials have confirmed that the case, originally filed under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abduction, has seen additional charges. Sections 6 and 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which pertain to aggravated penetrative sexual assault and sexual assault respectively, have now been included in the investigation. This development raises the severity of the allegations against the accused.
