Three girls, lured on pretext of visiting Durga Puja pandals, raped in Assam's Goalpara; accused held

Goalpara: Three minor girls were allegedly raped by three persons, who were known to the victims, during the Durga puja festival in Assams Goalpara district, police said on Wednesday.

The three accused, who were arrested, took the girls out on the pretext of showing them various Durga idols, Goalpara Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma.

The incident took place on the night of 22 October at Rongjuli High School playground.

“We received a complaint yesterday and registered a case at Rongjuli police station under various sections of the  IPC and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act,” he said.

The police arrested two of the accused on Tuesday, while the third one was nabbed on Wednesday, Sarma said.

“Our investigation revealed that the accused knew the three minor girls. In fact, they had brought the girls from their homes to show Durga puja,” he said.

The police officer said that investigation is on to ascertain the claim that the culprits had recorded the act in their mobile phones.