Cleric arrested in rape and murder case of a minor girl

Guwahati: Assam police have arrested Syed Ali, a  65 years old cleric associated with a local mosque at Bhuragaon in Morigaon district,
suspecting his involvement in a rape and murder case of a minor girl. The incident took place on 20 June, when Ali overpowered the nine
years old girl belonged to the religious minority community and then disposed the body at a jute filed in Laharighat locality. The
investigating police personnel revealed that the post-mortem report confirmed sexual assaults before the girl’s death.
A large number neighbours identified the cleric when he went to the victim family asking the members not to follow up the case. Various
women’s rights organizations demanded stringent punishments to the culprit so that it can work as a deterrent to such heinous crimes in
future.

Visiting the bereaved family on Friday,  State chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that the perpetrators will not be spared.
Sarma, also in charge of State home portfolio, empathized with the victim family members and assured them of stringent punishments to the
culprit. He reiterated that the safety and security to every citizen remain a priority for the government.
The police had lately arrested five other individuals in a separate rape and murder case relating to two young girls in Kokrajhar
district. The police claimed that among the five accused, Farouk Rahman, Muzammil Sheikh and Nazibul Sheikh were directly involved with
the crime.
Both the victims (aged 14 and 16), belonged to the indigenous Rabha community, were found hanging from a tree at Abhayakhuti village on 16
June. Initially it was suspected to be a case of suicide, but CM Sarma
after his visit to the victims’ families along with BTC chief Pramod Boro, revealed that  both the girls were raped before murdering and
putting on the tree.