Assam Police Shoot Main Accused Who Attacked Officers During Probe

The main accused in the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old tribal girl in Assam's Chirang district was shot and injured on Tuesday after he allegedly attacked police personnel and tried to flee during a crime-scene visit, police said.Chirang Superintendent of Police Dhruva Bora said three persons had been arrested in connection with the case."Three accused have been arrested in connection with the case. The main accused, Nasir-ul-Hussain, was taken by the Investigating Officer today to the place where the crime began. There, he allegedly attacked the police and tried to escape. The Investigating Officer then fired at him. He was subsequently apprehended and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital," Bora said.Hussain was taken to the location as part of the investigation when the alleged incident occurred, according to the SSP. He suffered bullet injuries and was taken to hospital.The case surfaced after a video purportedly showing the assault was circulated on social media. Police said the alleged incident took place on July 24.The girl's mother approached Runikhata Police Station on August 15 after learning about the circulation of the video and lodged a complaint, police said.According to investigators, the girl had been contacted through social media by one of the accused and was allegedly asked to meet him. Police said she was subsequently taken to another location, where three men allegedly assaulted her.Bora said police began investigating the matter after the complaint was received."The matter came to light two days ago after one of the accused shared the video on social media, and the victim's mother lodged a complaint at Runikhata Police Station on August 15," the SSP said.Police said two of the accused were arrested within two hours of receiving the complaint, while the third was arrested later that day."As per the initial findings, the victim was contacted by one of the accused and gang-raped by the three men. We are investigating the matter further," Bora said.The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act, police and POCSO Act.Investigators have also seized the accused persons' mobile phones as part of the probe into the alleged recording and circulation of the video. The victim's statement has been recorded and her medical examination has been conducted, police said.The incident has triggered protests and demands for stringent action from tribal organisations in the area.Police are now investigating the alleged assault, the circulation of the video and the circumstances surrounding Tuesday's incident involving the main accused.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)