Assam minor rape accused dies in custody, police say he drowned while trying to flee

'The accused escaped from police custody and jumped into the pond. A search operation was launched immediately and his body was recovered after nearly two hours,' police added.

Guwahati: The "prime accused" in the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Assam's Nagaon district drowned in a waterbody while in police custody, with the officials claiming that he was trying to flee on Saturday morning.

The accused, Tafazul Islam and another accused were arrested on Friday when local residents shut Dhing town and staged protests demanding immediate arrest of the accused. Police said the girl, who was returning from tuition on a bi-cycle, was found by locals near a water body in semi-conscious condition on Thursday evening. The girl alleged that she was gang raped by three youths.

Nagaon Superintendent of police Swapnaneel Deka told reporters that Tafazul was taken to the area for reconstruction of the crime scene following interrogation on Friday night. But he jumped into the water body in order to flee from police custody. "SDRF personnel were immediately called and his body was found in the water body. The incident took place at around 3 am," police said.

After the protest on Friday morning, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the accused would not be spared.