Tension in Kailashahar: Villagers detained alleged rapist red-handed; OC accused of reluctance to file complaint

A wave of intense tension has gripped the Dolucherra area of Kailashahar after a 30-year-old man was caught by locals while allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in a nearby forest.

While the suspect has been handed over to the police, the incident has taken a controversial turn with serious allegations of corruption leveled against the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Kailashahar Women police station.

Sources said that the victim, a nine-year-old girl named Sita Das (name changed), resides in Ward No. 2 of Dolucherra under the Bhagwan Nagar Gram Panchayat of Unakoti district. Her parents are daily wage laborers at a local brick kiln and leave for work early every morning.

On Thursday, around 10 AM, while the girl was alone at home, a neighbor identified as Buchud Ali allegedly abducted her and forcibly took her into the adjacent forest. As the suspect began to assault her, the girl's screams alerted the villagers. Locals rushed to the spot and caught Buchud Ali red-handed.

After being informed by the villagers, the victim's parents arrived and contacted the Kailashahar Women police station. A police team arrived, arrested the suspect, and rescued the child.

However, the situation took a dark turn at the police station. Villagers alleged that the OC of the Women police station, Swarna Debbarma, initially refused to accept the written complaint from the victim's mother.

Villagers alleged that a "settlement" involving a significant sum of money was allegedly brokered between the OC and the suspect's representatives, including a local deed writer and a security guard from Unakoti District Hospital.

The OC reportedly pressured the mother, stating that the police would register a Suo Motu case instead of accepting her formal complaint.

Sources said that in a shocking breach of protocol, a deed writer was allegedly allowed access to the lockup to obtain the suspect’s signature on legal documents for a bail application.

Facing pressure from the media and the public, OC Swarna Debbarma eventually recorded the statements of the mother and the victim. The child was subsequently taken to the Unakoti District Hospital for a medical examination before being produced in a court.

The local community has expressed deep outrage over the OC's conduct. The residents of Kailashahar have condemned the incident, questioning how a high-ranking woman officer could allegedly prioritize personal gain over justice for a minor from a marginalized family.