A rape accused was killed on the outskirts of Guwahati on Tuesday night when he allegedly tried to flee from custody after attacking a police team accompanying him for crime scene reconstruction, people aware of the matter said.
A police officer, who spoke on conditions of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the press, said the accused, identified as Biki Ali, who is in his early 20s, was shot at when he tried to flee.
Guwahati Medical College Hospital superintendent Abhijit Sarma said the person sustained four injury marks – one in the chest and three in the back. “He was brought to our hospital after 1 a.m. [Wednesday] where he was declared brought dead. Details of gunshot wounds will be available after post-mortem.”
Sarma said police officer Twinkle Goswami, the in-charge of Panbazar women police station in Guwahati, was also injured in the incident. “The officer, who sustained minor injuries in her leg and hand, is admitted to the hospital. Her condition is stated to be stable.”
Ali and four others are accused of raping a 16-year-old student. He was arrested on Tuesday, a week after the police lodged complaint in the case.
In the complaint, the girl’s family said she was allegedly raped on February 16. Two of the accused even shot a video of the assault and threatened to post it online if she reported the matter. They allegedly promised to delete the video and called the girl to a hotel in Guwahati on February 19, where they sexually assaulted her again.
The police booked the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act. Efforts are on to nab the other accused, the police said.