Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday ordered the suspension of three senior police officials accused of negligence in a case pertaining to the death of a 13-year-old girl in the Darrang district.
On June 11, the girl was found hanging at the home of a Sashastra Seema Bal jawan named Krishna Kamal Baruah in the Dhula village of Darrang, The Indian Express reported. She had been working as a domestic help there.
Sarma on Friday visited the girl’s family in the district’s Praja Pathar village. He told reporters that he was not happy with the manner in which the police dealt with the case.
“A newspaper report had claimed that the police did not want to register [a first information report],” the chief minister said. “The police recorded it as a suicide and no further investigation was done.”
Sarma ordered the suspension of Superintendent of Police Rajmohan Ray, Additional Superintendent of Police Rupam Phukan, and the officer-in-charge of the Dhula Police Station, a press release said.
The chief minister also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team to look into the death. “Also directed the authorities concerned to make arrangements for construction of a house under government scheme and Orunodoi coverage to the bereaved family,” he said.
Under the Assam government’s Orunodoi scheme, women who are primary caretakers of poor households are paid Rs 1000 as financial assistance each month.
The girl’s family alleged that the police showed “extreme dereliction of duty” while collecting photographic and videographic evidence pertaining to the death, the press release said. “It has been further alleged that the Dhula Police Station Officer in-charge had put pressure on the family members of the deceased to not file a written complaint on the unnatural death,” it added.
Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said that district police officials did not follow “even the basics” while dealing with the case, according to The Indian Express.
“First it was registered it as an unnatural death case, then as a suicide,” he said. “After the relatives of the girl lodged a complaint alleging murder, both husband [Baruah] and wife were sent to judicial custody. No custodial interrogation was done.”
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