The main suspect in the brutal murder of a college student in Assam last month was shot by police on Saturday night while allegedly attempting to flee police custody, officers said.
“One Rinku Sarma, accused of killing Nandita Saikia of Moridhal College, Dhemaji tried to snatch a police weapon this evening and escape custody. He was injured in police firing in self-defence and to prevent his escape,” special director general of police (DGP), GP Singh, tweeted at 11:00 pm on Saturday.
Rinku Sarma, a Moridhal College employee in Dhemaji district, was arrested last month for the August 21 murder of Nandita Saikia, a student at the same college.
He used a machete to attack the victim, her friend, and the friend’s father while they were waiting at a bus stop. Saikia died on August 26 after suffering severe head injuries. The other two received minor injuries and were being treated.
Both the accused and the victim were in a relationship, according to reports citing Saikia’s friends, and Sarma was upset because Saikia had begun to avoid him. Within minutes of the incident, the accused was apprehended.
Following the incident, student groups and residents staged protests calling for Sarma to be punished harshly. The Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), two opposition parties, have accused the state’s BJP-led government of failing to protect women.
