Guwahati Child Abuse Case: Second Chargesheet Filed Against Accused Doctor Couple

GUWAHATI: In the latest development in the city child abuse case, a second chargesheet has been filed against the accused doctor couple Sangeeta Datta and Waliul Islam in connection with the case registered at the Paltan Bazar police station under case number 201/2023.

The second chargesheet comes on the heels of the recent filing of the first chargesheet connected to the case with registration number 117/23. Prime accused Sangeeta Datta had appeared for the court hearing in the case via video conferencing.

The doctor couple at the heart of the controversy now faces a number of charges under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. They are accused of physical and mental abuse of the minor children they adopted illegally. Their household help, assistants and others are also accused of abetting the crime, which made headlines and shocked the people.

The doctor couple of psychiatrist Sangeeta Datta and general surgeon Waliul Islam now face myriad of charges under 12 different sections of different Indian laws, including Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

In addition to the charges against the doctor couple, their employee Lakhi Roy has been charged under sections 307, 325, 326, 341, and 506 of the IPC, while Sangeeta’s assistant Utpala Bose stands accused under Section 370(5)/80 of the Child Judicial Act.

The case against the doctor couple is unfolding gradually as the legal proceedings against them continue in court.

Earlier on July 5, celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Sangeeta Datta, who is currently incarcerated, filed a complaint against her manager Riju Roy, alleging that she was being framed in the case. The complaint was reportedly filed from her cell at the Paltan Bazar police station, where she is currently being held. The police, however, are yet to register the complaint filed by Dr. Datta.

The latest development happened shortly after a chargesheet was filed by the Paltan Bazar police against Dr. Datta and her husband Dr. Waliul Islam on July 3.

The allegations against the doctor couple are being scrutinized, even as the police continue their investigation into the case.

Significantly, the doctor couple’s alleged involvement in the child abuse case of their adopted children came to light when child rights activist Miguel Das Queah brought the matter to the attention of people through social media.

The doctor couple was taken into custody on May 5 this year, after allegations that they kept their adopted daughter tied up on their terrace in extreme heat as punishment, surfaced. Subsequently, the duo was remanded to police custody for investigation, even as their domestic help was sent to judicial custody after CCTV footage established her involvement in the crime.

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