Guwahati: As a special court at Kokrajhar in western Assam awarded death sentences to three persons accused of raping and murdering two tribal girls last year, State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to the digital platform to reveal that he had ordered the police department to form a special investigation team (SIT) for a speedy probe. The incident took place last year soon after Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister of Assam and he visited the family of victims on 13 June 2021.
The Friday verdict went against Muzammil Sheikh, Nazibul Sheikh and Farouk Rahman, who raped and subsequently murdered two minor sisters belonging to the Rabha community from Abhayakhuti village under Kokrajhar police station. The convicts put hanging both the bodies on a tree to mislead the family (and public) as it being a case of suicide.
The police arrested seven persons for their involvement in the gruesome murder, where Muzammil, Nazibul and Farouk were the prime suspects. The rest (Hanif Sheikh, Jahanur Islam, Atab Ali and Sankar Barman) were involved in erasing the proofs on the spot. The family of victims (aged 16 and 14 years) did not accept the case as an incident of suicide and urged the government for a fair probe. The police apprehended all seven accused persons promptly. Senior police official LR Bishnoi, who headed the SIT, appreciated CM Sarma, also in charge of State home portfolio, for his consistent guidance.
Death sentence to three rapists in Kokrajhar minor victims’ case
