Assam: 21-yr-old rapes, sets class 5 girl on fire as 2 minors keep guard

Guwahati: The Assam Police on Monday arrested 21-year-old Zakir Hussain, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a class V student at Batardaba in central Assam’s Nagaon district.

The incident has rocked the state with people across the state demanding the toughest punishments, like death sentence, for the accused. Inside the legislative Assembly too, the lawmakers are pressing the government for adopting new laws to deal with convicted rapists even more firmly. The girl’s brother, also demanded that killers of her sister get nothing short of a death sentence.

A history-sheeter, Zakir, was tracked down on Sunday evening at Itapara locality in Nagaon town, about 40 km from his home at Lalung Gaon in Batadraba, when he tried to call one of his friends.

The signal from Zakir’s mobile phone was soon picked up and traced to his friend’s place at nearby Raha. The friend was immediately picked up, who gave away the location of Zakir’s hiding place.

Zakir made a last ditch attempt to escape as he sprinted out from the house of his relative at Itapara but was nabbed. Police have also picked up his father, Abdur Rezak, mother and brother.

Police said that Zakir has confessed to committing the crime. According to sources, Zakir allegedly raped the girl at her home in front of two minor boys who stood guard outside the house. The other members of her family were out on work. The trio was leaving the place after committing the crime when the girl threatened to tell it all to her brother and then Zakir returned with kerosene, poured it over the girl and set her on fire.

The girl was shifted to Nagaon civil hospital where doctors found that she had received 90 per cent burnt injuries and needed to be taken to Guwahati. She died on her way to Guwahati Medical College Hospital on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, police said that they are doing everything to put up a strong case against the accused. “The victim has named all the three accused in her dying declaration and this piece of evidence is very strong. Police are taking all measures to ensure that they get the highest quantum of punishment in the court of law,” Nagaon district police superintendent Shankar Raimedhi said.

The two minors have already been arrested on the evening of the crime and they too have named Zakir.

Local people are now saying that Zakir’s family is a known trouble maker in the area and he along with his father had attempted to molest a girl long back. Zakir’s brother was also lynched by people for allegedly raping a girl some years back.

Police records also show that Zakir was in jail in 2014 in connection with a burglary case.