Tripura Man Arrested for Raping 9-Year-Old Girl in Madhupur
21-year-old Russel Mia arrested in Tripura for allegedly raping his 9-year-old neighbor girl.
In the quiet Kamalasagar Miapara area under Madhupur police station in Tripura's Sepahijala district, a horrifying crime unfolded on Monday. Russel Mia, a 21-year-old resident and son of Rizik Mia, allegedly lured his 9-year-old neighbor into his home with false displays of affection. The minor girl, playing nearby, fell prey to his manipulation, leading to a brutal sexual assault that shattered her innocence. This incident highlights the lurking dangers in close-knit communities where trust is easily exploited.
The young victim initially endured the trauma in silence, gripped by fear and confusion common in child assault cases. However, her visible distress—marked by withdrawal, tears, and erratic behavior—prompted her parents to probe gently. Around 4 PM on Sunday, she bravely confided the full ordeal, describing how Russel had isolated her and committed the heinous act. Her parents, devastated yet determined, rushed to Madhupur police station to file a formal complaint, triggering immediate action.
Police responded with urgency, dispatching a team led by Second Officer Chittaranjan Reang to Russel's residence. The raid caught the accused off-guard, leading to his swift arrest without resistance. Sources reveal Russel, who is reportedly married, had been grooming the child through repeated false promises of gifts and care over several days. This pattern of exploitation underscores the predatory tactics often seen in POCSO cases, where perpetrators abuse proximity and authority.
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Russel Mia has been charged under stringent sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, including aggravated penetrative sexual assault, which carries minimum punishments of 20 years to life imprisonment. He was produced before the sub-divisional court on Monday for remand, with police seeking custody for interrogation. Forensic evidence collection is underway, and Russel's mobile phone and home are being searched for digital traces of manipulation. The POCSO Act mandates fast-track trials to ensure child-centric justice.
The accused's mother has vehemently denied the charges, claiming her son was falsely implicated in a neighborhood dispute and was not even home during the alleged time. She alleges ulterior motives by the victim's family, a defense tactic seen in several contested cases. However, authorities dismissed these claims as baseless, prioritizing the child's testimony. A detailed medical examination of the victim, including DNA sampling, is scheduled imminently at a government hospital to corroborate the assault.
This case has sparked outrage in Madhupur, with locals demanding stricter vigilance and community awareness programs against child predators. Sepahijala police have assured a thorough probe, including witness statements from neighbors who noticed the girl's distress. As the investigation deepens, it serves as a grim reminder of rising child sexual abuse incidents in rural India, urging faster implementation of safety measures like school counseling and parental vigilance.
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