'What is rape?' asked 14-year-old Dhing gangrape victim two days before the incident

A 14-year-old girl was brutally gang-raped on August 22 in Assam's Dhing, barely half a kilometer from her home while returning from tuition classes. This horrid act of rape not only dashed her dreams but also left her family in shock and sorrow.

Maina (name changed ), who dreams of becoming a DSP, lives with her aunt and grandparents in Dhing. Her father could not support her much from Guwahati, so her aunt brought her up, albeit in bad shape financially but making sure that Maina got an education. It is her aunt who supports the family from a modest Rs 10,000 salary and has been the one to care for and educate Maina. Their simple life took a dark turn when Maina, usually escorted home by her aunt or an e-rickshaw had to cycle home alone due to unforeseen circumstances.

The incident happened at around 6 pm on August 22 when Maina was attacked by three assailants who gangraped her, left her injured and unconscious in a jungle. Local residents found her and rushed her to the hospital from where she was later shifted to the Nagaon Medical College for treatment. Anger in the community was spontaneous and protests erupted all across Assam for justice to Maina.

Maina's aunt felt her guilt and pain, bemoaning the failure to protect her 'daughter'. The tragedy cuts deeper as Maina had asked her aunt two days back, "Aunty, what is rape?" as she came to know about a similar crime in Kolkata. 

Speaking to India Today NE, she said,  "I am shattered. I never thought something so gruesome would happen here. It looks like I have failed to protect her." That day, she had to attend her tuition using the bicycle as there was no e-rickshaw and her aunt had some other work. Her aunt has called for the severest punishment to the perpetrators and demanded capital punishment for such heinous crimes.

Maina had a budding ambition..that one day she would be the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). "She even spoke to the DSP at the hospital and managed to give a smile," said the aunt.

"Obviously, to get justice for others, she might have had an inclination towards becoming a DSP." The family has demanded that the culprits be hanged to death and also appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to step forward for their protection and the required support for Maina's education.

The incident has left Maina's father in agony. "Seeing my daughter in the hospital with wet eyes and not able to talk was heart-breaking," he said. Her silence spoke a million words about the trauma. He added to the appeal of the community for justice and prayed that his daughter recovers soon and resumes education perhaps away from Dhing for her safety.

The incident has not only left a family in tears but has also opened up a broader debate on the safety of women and children in Dhing and beyond. It has resulted in mass protests in Dhing and parts of Assam with demands of justice and reform. 

One of the accused, Tafazul Islam died in the pond on August 24 while trying to escape the clutches of police during the course of an investigation. Hunt is on for the other two culprits.