GUWAHATI: If not for a WhatsApp message from a journalist on August 12 that drew chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's attention, the unnatural death of the 13-year-old girl in Assam's Darrang district on June 11 would have continued to be a suicide case.
After Sarma's intervention, CID conducted a new investigation and found disturbing facts about the alleged sexual assault and death of the young Christian girl at the hands of the owner of the home where she was working as a maid.
Sarma claimed it was fate that he stopped to read that specific message while scrolling through WhatsApp.
"Around 2.30 am, I noticed the message. It came from a reporter. I receive roughly 1000 emails per day. Sometimes only 10 or 20 of them should be read. I was guided to this particular message by God. When I first saw it, I mistook it for Sanjog. I immediately asked my office to ask the Darrang SP for a report. When police detained the suspect upon the SP's receipt of the communication from my office requesting his report, I had my concerns. I was aware of a problem. We're heading to the girl's house in the morning, I told the DGP when I spoke with him on the phone, "said Sarma.
Sarma ordered the suspension of the SP and the ASP after evaluating the situation on the ground, and he instructed the CID to set up an SIT to reopen the case's investigation. The re-investigation revealed a sinister aspect to the police, the government, and the medical community. The SP, another SP, an executive magistrate, three physicians who performed the post-mortem, and another SP were detained by the CID's special investigative squad for accepting bribes to protect the accused.
The victim's body was exhumed by the CID with the assistance of specialists from AIIMS, the GMC, and NEIGRIHMS in order to conduct a second post-mortem. The CID used contemporary technology, such as a geolocation tracking system to find the evidence of the money trail and forensic technology to get the vital evidence after recreating the crime at the crime scene.
Contrary to earlier reports, it was determined that the girl was strangled with a coir rope after being sexually assaulted. This was done to make it appear as though she had committed suicide.
Sarma stated, "We have concluded our investigation, which establishes that it was a case of murder and sexual assault and not suicide, and also that the police officers, magistrate, and doctors compromised on the investigation. However, it is the court that will deliver the final verdict.
Also watch: