Body of 13-year old tribal domestic help girl, found hanging at employer's house, exhumed in Assam's Darrang

Tezpur (Assam): The body of the 13-year old tribal domestic help, allegedly found hanging in the house of her employer in Darrang, was exhumed on Thursday from Dhekiajuli in Assam's Sonitpur district, police said.

The exhumation was ordered by the Sonitpur district and sessions Court and the body was sent to Gauhati Medical College Hospital for requisite tests.

A seven-member team lead by superintendent of police Kalyan Phukan and comprising forensic experts and doctors visited the girl's home and spoke to the family members before exhuming the body. The girl's family had alleged that there was extreme dereliction of duty by the police in collecting photographic and videographic evidence of the incident, which took place early this month. The family had also claimed that the officer in-charge of Dhula police station had put pressure on the members not to file a written complaint on the girl's unnatural death.

The girl's body was found hanging in the house of her employer at Dhula area of Darrang district.

The incident had created an outrage and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had visited the bereaved family on August 12. The employers were subsequently arrested.

Sarma had ordered the suspension of Darrang superintendent of police Rajmohan Ray, the additional superintendent of police Rupam Phukan and the officer in-charge of Dhula police station. He had also ordered the constitution of a special investigation team to probe the death case and accordingly a five-member team led by CID Inspector General of Police (IGP) Devraj Upadhyaya was set up.