Agartala, October 14, 2025: A local court of Tripura on Monday remanded Joynal Uddin, the prime accused in the rape and murder of 14-month-old Aniza Akhtar Laskar to jail custody until October 26. The accused is scheduled to be produced before the court again on October 27, when police custody may be sought for further interrogation.

Uddin (40), a resident of Ward No. 5 under Uttar Padmabil Gram Panchayat in Panisagar subdivision of North district was arrested on Sunday in Assam’s Nilam Bazar area after being on the run since the incident. He was apprehended by local residents and handed over to police. A joint team from Dharmanagar and Panisagar police stations brought him back to Tripura and lodged him at Dharmanagar police station.

The horrific crime occurred on the night of October 11 in Panisagar, where Uddin allegedly raped and murdered his 14-month-old niece, Aniza Akhtar. Police reported that the child was buried near the family’s residence, approximately 150 meters away. Her body was recovered following a search operation initiated after family members reported her missing. The remains were sent to Panisagar Subdivisional Hospital for autopsy.

A case was registered at Panisagar Police Station on October 12 (Case No. 2025/PNS/047) under Sections 65(2), 66, 103(1), and 238 of the Indian Penal Code, 2023, along with Section 4(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage across Tripura, with residents demanding the harshest possible punishment for the accused. Public sentiment calls for an exemplary sentence that would deter future crimes of such brutality and protect the sanctity of childhood.

The investigation continues, and authorities have assured that the case will be pursued with utmost seriousness.