Guwahati gangrape: Seven arrested based on viral video, two more evade capture

Police are yet to identify the victim but they registered a case suo motu based on the viral video. Cyber crime experts helped police to trace the origin of the mobile phone from where the video was first shared, leading to the arrest of the accused persons.

Guwahati: Seven youths have been arrested in Assam capital Guwahati on charges of gangrape based on a video that went viral via WhatsApp, recently.

Police said investigation revealed that the incident took place in the city's Boragaon area during Raas Festival, which is celebrated in late November or early December. The incident took place near a temple, police said.

Interrogation of the seven accused revealed that nine youths were involved in the crime and police are trying to catch two others. "The investigation suggests as the festival was going on, one of the youths brought the woman and called others to the place. Then the woman was sexually assaulted by the youths while some among them recorded the crime on a mobile phone. The matter came to our notice after we came across a video of the incident, which was shared through WhatsApp," deputy commissioner of police, Guwahati West, Padmanabh Baruah told reporters on Friday.

The seven were arrested on Thursday night and Friday morning, police said.

Although police are yet to identify the victim, they registered a case suo motu based on the viral video. Cyber crime experts also helped police to trace the origin of the mobile phone from where the video was first shared. The police, based on the lead, managed to nab the accused persons.

The accused have been identified as Bijoy Rabha, Kuldip Nath, Pinku Das, Gagan Das, Saurav Boro, Mrinal Rabha and Dipankar Mukhia. Police efforts are underway to arrest the remaining two accused. The accused are all below 25, police said.