Thaindian News

Guwahati, July 16 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Monday said Amarjyoti Kalita, the prime accused in the July 9 teenage girl molestation case, will be arrested soon.

“Police have been tracking his mobile phone records and he is reportedly taking shelter in Bhubaneswar. Efforts are on to nab him. Our police are in touch with their Odisha counterparts and we hope to track him soon,” the chief minister said while talking to newsmen outside the assembly.

Gogoi, however, denied setting any 48-hour deadline to catch the culprits behind the molestation incident.

“I have not set any deadline to catch the culprits. But I have asked the police to bring them to book as early as possible and I am hopeful that police will catch him soon,” he said.

Police, which have also formed a special team to step up the investigation, have already arrested eight people out of the 12 identified persons, who were involved in molesting and stripping the girl in public outside a pub in Guwahati on the night of July 9.

“We are investigating the case. There are some reports from Bhubaneswar that the prime accused Kalita had been hiding there,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Ranjan Bhuyan, who is leading the special team.

“We have already announced a cash award of Rs.50,000 for information about Amarjyoti Kalita and Rs.25,000 each for information about the rest of the culprits,” Bhuyan said.

“Search operations are on in various locations of Assam, where the culprits might flee. We are also in touch with our counterparts in neighbouring states,” he said.