Tripura: 14-month-old girl raped, murdered by maternal grandfather; accused arrested
What's the story
In a shocking incident in the Panisagar subdivision of North Tripura district, a 14-month-old infant was allegedly raped and murdered by her mother's maternal uncle on October 11. According to Hubnews, the accused, a 44-year-old daily wager, was arrested from Nilam Bazar in Assam on Sunday and brought back to Tripura. The alleged crime took place when the child was visiting her maternal uncle's house with her mother.
Discovery
Child was missing for several hours
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Panisagar, Rahul Balhara, said that family members raised an alarm around 8:00pm after the child didn't return for several hours. A police team launched a search operation with the locals' help. "During the search, we noticed a patch of newly dug earth close to the house," SDPO Balhara said. Digging at the spot led to the discovery of the child's lifeless body.
Arrest and investigation
Accused arrested after manhunt
The accused had fled the scene after the crime. A formal complaint was filed by the child's grandfather on the morning of October 12. After a manhunt, he was arrested around 2:00pm from Nilam Bazar in Assam's Sribhumi district. A special police team brought him back to Tripura for further proceedings. SDPO Balhara confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and charges of rape and murder are alleged pending confirmation from an official post-mortem report.
Public outcry
Body sent for post-mortem examination
Brinda Adige, a noted humanist and activist, condemned the incident as "absolutely horrendous." She expressed disbelief that such a thing could happen to someone trusted by the mother. The body was sent to Panisagar Sub-divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death and confirm sexual assault. The accused will be produced before a local court on Monday as investigations continue.