Rape-tainted Meghalaya ex-policeman sent to prison

A court in Meghalaya on Wednesday remanded a former police officer to 14 days' judicial custody for allegedly raping two teenaged girls two years ago.

Nurul Islam, who was in-charge of Ampati police station, has been evading arrest after he allegedly raped a 14-year-old at the Ampati police station on March 13, 2013. On March 31, he raped the girl's sister, 17, at gun point at their home.

Ampati is the assembly constituency of Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

"The court remanded 14 days' judicial custody to Islam after we (police) filed a counter petition against his (Islam) bail plea in the District and Session Court," Meghalaya Police chief Rajiv Mehta told IANS.

Mehta said the court rejected Islam's bail plea after police submitted the factual position of the case wherein Islam went into hiding after escaping from police custody on June 2 from a police quarter in Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills and has been declared a proclaimed offender in the case.

The Meghalaya government had dismissed Islam from service because of his involvement in the crime and for absconding after being accused in raping the two sisters.

"My father never absconded nor evades police arrest but has been appearing before the Meghalaya High Court and District Courts following an FIR was filed against him in June 2013. He has appeared before courts at least six to seven times here in Shillong," Islam's son Nawaz told journalists.