A brutal crime in Assam’s Hailakandi has shocked the region, as a 15-year-old girl was reportedly gang-raped, tortured with household objects and a metal rod, and killed by three youths aged 17 to 19. Her family discovered her disfigured body at home, prompting massive protests and calls for capital punishment for the accused.
IN A HORRIFIC INCIDENT that revives the memory of the gruesome 2012 Nirbhaya Rape Case, a 15-year-old girl was gang raped by three minors in Assam’s Hailakandi district, and had her head smashed and a rod inserted inside her private part before being brutally murdered.
The incident happened on Saturday, August 1, 2026, when the girl was returning home alone after a family function. The three teenagers, one of whom who was in a relationship with the victim, took advantage of the girl being isolated and gang-raped her inside her own house, tortured her with multiple objects, and inserted rod inserted inside her private part, before brutally murdering her by smashing her face.
When the family returned home late on Saturday night, they discovered the girl lying in a pool of her own blood, with her face disfigured beyond recognition. The police initially detained five individuals for questioning in relation to this case, before arresting the three suspects aged between 17 and 19.
The case came to light when locals staged a protest on Sunday, August 2, 2026, and blocked a National Highway 6 that connects Assam to Mizoram. Protesters gathered in huge numbers to demand the immediate arrest and strict punishment of the culprits, restricting traffic flow and stranding vehicles on the crucial motorway for several hours. A special investigative team (SIT) was constituted on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, under the Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), which confirmed that the girl has been raped.
“One of them [the accused] is 17-and-a-half years old but considering the brutality of the case, we have appealed to the court to try him as an adult,” said Amitabh Sinha, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Hailakandi.
As per the police statement, the girl’s family had gone to a relative's house for a feast. The victim’s mother stated that the girl too had been present at the feast, but left for her home at around 10.30 pm following an argument with a cousin. When the family returned home at around 11.30pm, they found the girl’s bloodied body on the ground, almost unrecognizable.
“She was at the feast too, but after an argument with a cousin, she left for home at 10.30 pm. We thought we'd bring some food for her later, but when we reached home around an hour later, we were horrified to see her body,” the victim's mother said. While demanding capital punishment for the accused, she further stated: “It was horrible; how can a human treat another human, a little girl, in such a brutal manner.”
Giving further details of the girl’s assault, a senior police official on Monday, August 3, 2026, stated that her private parts were mutilated and her body bore severe injury marks, indicating that she was tortured with different objects.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Hailakandi, Samir Darpan Baruah stated that the accused have been booked under Section 65(1), Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with rape of a girl below the age of 16 and murder respectively. Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012 was also added. The official added that further sections can be invoked as police investigation moves forward.
Two of the accused have been identified by police as Apu Malakar (18) and Joydip Ree (19). All three have been remanded to six days of police custody for further investigation.
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