A man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the Umsohsun sexual harrassment of a schoolgirl after being tracked by Meghalaya police to Jorhat, Assam.
The man was caught on CCTV lifting up the skirt of a schoolgirl and taking photographs of her with his mobile phone in the Shillong neighbourhood last week. The assailant was wearing a mask at the time of the incident.
The video of the incident began spreading on May 24 and police formed a special team to arrest the suspect, led by Additional Superintendent of Police (Ops) of East Khasi Hills Ivan B Diengdoh. .
The victim was identified and examined and it was ascertained that the incident had occurred at around 6:35am while she was on her way to school.
An FIR was filed at Lumdiengjri police station and a case was registered under Sections 76 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with the intent to disrobe) and 79 (use of words, gestures, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the BNS and Section 11 (sexual harassment of a child) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Another FIR was filed at Sadar police station regarding the complaint of another girl who was sexually assaulted on May 19 between 7:15am and 7:30am on the steps near Dreamland in Police Bazar, for which a case under Section 7 (sexual assault of a child) of the POCSO Act was registered. Both cases were treated as special report cases considering the sensitivity of the matter.
In a matter of three days, the special team identified the accused, one Himan Gogoi (24) of Jorhat, Assam.
A team under WPSI Lavinia Kongwang left for Jorhat yesterday and, in a joint raid with Assam police, apprehended the suspect today morning at the home of a relative in Bamkukurachua village, under Teok police station, Jorhat.
The police team recovered the mobile phone used by the accused and other incriminating evidence, which have been seized. He was also found to be involved in a case registered in Teok police station for criminal trespass and provoking a breach of the peace.
Meghalaya police informed that Gogoi will be produced in the Jorhat District Court and will be moved to Shillong once a transit remand is received.
