A 51-year-old man in Assam has been arrested for attempting to rape the corpse a 14-year-old girl, who had allegedly died under mysterious circumstances and was buried on May 17 by her family members.

The accused, Akan Saikia, was caught red handed while trying to rape the dead body by the local villagers the next day. "The girl died under suspicious circumstances on May 17 and was buried the same night by her family members near the Simen river, which flows close to the village. Few villagers were also present," said Dhemaji's superintendent of police (SP) reportedly stated. On May 18, the accused had allegedly dug out the body of the girl and attempted to rape it. A few local fishermen noticed this and nabbed him before handing him over to the police. "The accused doesn't appear to be mentally deranged but is a psychopath. He's a history-sheeter as well. The accused appears to be promiscuous. Some have alleged that he might have sexually harassed the minor that led her to commit suicide," the police official further added. Saikia has previously once been arrested after his second wife filed a case of domestic violence against him.

The accused has confessed to his crime and has been remanded in judicial custody, while the body of the girl has been sent for a post-mortem. The man has reportedly been booked under Sections 306 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for abetment of suicide and unnatural sex and also under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.