GUWAHATI: The Assam Police have arrested five persons who had allegedly forced a youth to have sex with a minor girl, and blackmailed them after filming the act.
The incident occurred at Bhumeshwar Hills, a tourist attraction, in the Bongaigaon district on May 15 and came to light on May 18.
The police registered a case under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman or abetting such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked), 354D (stalking), 387 (putting a person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) read with section 8/12 of POCSO Act and section 66E, 67/67A of IT Act.
Superintendent of Police Mohan Lal Meena told The New Indian Express that the police would produce the accused in a court and seek their remand. They were identified as Jiren Sarkar, Seboram Sarkar, Biltu Rabha, Sunit Rabha and Dalim Barman.
Narrating the incident, Meena said, “The accused persons, who are locals, nabbed the duo when they had gone to the site. They forced them to take off their clothes and indulge in a sexual act. It was captured in a mobile phone.”
Subsequently, the accused members demanded Rs 5,000 from the duo and threatened to circulate the video if they failed to pay.
The youth then left from the spot to arrange for the money while the girl was kept in the custody of the accused. It was only after he returned with the cash that the two were let off.
The girl told the police she was not gang-raped by the accused when she was alone in their custody as reported earlier.
“We managed to talk to her last night. We will record her formal statement and send her for a medical examination,” said Meena.
The police learnt about the incident after some media persons got the video clip. In the video, the girl can be heard pleading for forgiveness but an accused ordered her and her companion to take off their clothes.
The locals condemned the incident and demanded stringent actions against the perpetrators of the crime.