DISPUR: In what can only be described as a shocking incident in Assam, a group of girls who were part of a dance troop were forced to strip and dance naked by rowdy spectators.
Two men identified as Shahrukh Khan and Subahan Khan, were arrested on Sunday after a case was filed on the basis of a complaint registered by the cultural troupe against the organisers of the programme, which was held at a village under Chaygaon Police Station limits.
As per a complaint filed with police by the director of the dance group, Arup D Rabha, a cultural show was organised on the occasion of Eid in in Assam’s Kamrup district where one of the organisers identified as Kuddus Ali had contracted the Rainbow Dance Group to perform in the event on June 7.
Rabha said that an amount of Rs 37,000 was agreed upon as payment.
The complaint stated that on reaching the venue, the 42-member dance group were surprised to discover that there was no cultural program whatsoever.
Kuddus Ali then took the dancers to an area surrounded by corrugated sheet fences on all sides.
When the dance group started their performance, around 700 youths created a ruckus and started molesting the girls.
They also demanded that the girls dance after being undressed and threatened them with daggers if they did not comply.
To the shock of the performers, members of the organising committee took part in the assault as well.
It was later discovered that the organisers had sold tickets to people at very high rates claiming that the troupe was coming from Coochbehar in West Bengal to perform strip dances on Friday.
Eventually, the group managed to escape the venue and related the encounter at Boko police station. A vehicle belonging to the dance group was also vandalised by the angry mob.
“We were shocked at their demands. They wanted our girls to dance without dress. We somehow escaped,” said Rabha.
Rabha filed an FIR with Boko police station regarding the incident, where he named Kuddus Ali, Sayed Khan, Atikul Islam, Samajuddin, Jeherul Islam and Abbas Ali, along with all the members of the organising committee as the prime accused in the case.
Police have launched an investigation into the case and have made two arrests so far, Subhahan Khan and Shahrukh Khan. (Agencies)
