14-year-old girl molested in Assam University, FIR lodged

Guwahati, Feb 1 (IANS) A 14-year-old girl, belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, was allegedly molested by an employee of Assam University in Silchar, after which a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged, police said on Saturday.

The varsity's officials called this incident "very unfortunate" and the internal complaints committee (ICC) was asked to submit a report within a week.

According to police, the accused, identified as Faruk Ahmed is at large, and a manhunt to nab him was on.

The complainant said that the victim went to the Law Department of Assam University on Friday accompanying a relative who works there.

According to the complainant, Ahmed dragged her to the toilet of the department when she was alone and tried to undress the victim there.

Numal Mahatta, the Superintendent of Police (SP) said that an FIR was lodged at the local police outpost on the university campus.

Pradosh Kiran Nath, the registrar of Assam University, said that the ICC is looking into the matter, and the committee has been coordinating with the police in the investigation since an FIR has already been lodged in the police outpost.

He said, "We have a zero-tolerance policy against any criminal act, particularly the crime against women. The matter is being investigated and proper action will be taken."

Police mentioned that the girl was sent to a shelter home and her statement has been recorded.

To recall, a 14-year-old was gang-raped by three persons while returning home from a tuition centre in the Dhing area in the Nagaon district last year which witnessed massive outrage in the locality.

The victim was on a bicycle when a group of three men attacked her and gang-raped the teenage girl.

The onlookers discovered the girl in a semi-naked state lying beside a pond in the area. They took her to a nearby hospital and informed the police.

According to police, the molesters left the girl after committing the crime and she was lying semi-conscious for more than an hour before being rescued by the locals.

The villagers in Borbheti village in Dhing locality boycotted the last rite of the prime accused Tafiqul Islam following his death while trying to flee from police custody.