Police have arrested a third accused in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl in Dimapur, further widening the ongoing investigation under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to NNN, the third accused was arrested and is currently being interrogated to determine the extent of his alleged involvement in the case.
GW reported that the arrested individual has been identified as Akangkokba Ao (68), who was picked up from his residence. However, official confirmation from the police regarding the identity was yet to be made available at the time of filing this report.
Earlier, police had arrested two accused in connection with the case – Watimeren Jamir (43) and Tsuktimongba Ao (37).
The case continues to draw public attention following demands from civil society organisations, including the Dimapur Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union (DENSU), which had earlier staged a protest outside the Dimapur Women Police Station seeking the arrest of a third accused.
Police are continuing investigation to establish the full chain of involvement in the case.