From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: So far four persons have been arrested on the charge of molesting and stripping a young woman on the arterial Guwahati-Shillong Road in the city on Monday night while police has launched a manhunt for seven other identified culprits involved in the barbaric assault on the woman.
The incident led to a public outcry after a video of the shocking incident was uploaded on Youtube. “Four persons have been arrested while total 11 accused have been identified,” said Assam Director General of Police Jayanta Narayan Choudhuri.
A local TV channel provided the video clippings of the assault on the woman on Monday night after she had just come out of a bar along the G S Road.
Police said four girls and two boys entered the bar on Monday night. They got involved in a brawl there and were forced out by the bar’s security.
“The police were alerted and they reached the scene immediately after the incident and rescued the girt. This incident does not prove that there are predators lurking in the city,’ the DGP said.
One of those arrested earlier — Amarjyoti Kalita — was a contractual employee of the Assam Electronic Development Corporation Ltd (AMTRON) . He had also acted in an Assamese serial.He has been put under suspension by his employer. Another two of the arrested were identified as Dhanonjoy Basfor and Bulbul Das.
They were charged under Section 341 (wrongful restraint), Section 143 (unlawful assembly), Section 294 (obscene act), Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code following a written complaint filed by the girl’s mother.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi terming it an unfortunate incident unfortunate directed the district administration and police to monitor all bars, clubs, discos and hotels.
After his force was slammed for delayed action, Assam DGP Jayanta Narayan Chowdhury said police is not like an “ATM machine” which can be present at the crime scene the moment one inserts a card in the machine.
“The remark is in poor taste. There is no such thing as rape capital. Every incident of molestation is condemnable,” Chidambaram said..
He also announced that a special task force would be constituted to check crime against women.
She would have committed suicide after the barbaric assault on her on Guwahati street on Monday night but for the moral support pouring in for her from the people all over the State.
“I was thinking of committing suicide after the video footage of the assault on me was beamed by TV channels and released on public domain, but decided against it after the moral support I received from the people of Assam during last few days,” she here tonight
“I would not have gone to attend the birthday party of my friend had I known that such an unfortunate incident would befall on me.”
“It happened when I had come out (of the bar) to the street with my friend who saw some youth making video.”
“When resisted those youth pounced upon me as I was about to get into an auto rickshaw.”
“They even tried to tear off my cloth while I was crying for help. There were onlookers and media was busy video-graphing what was unfolding. I was saved only when police arrived at the spot.”
“What has happened to me should not happen to anyone else. I have been devastated my life has been spoilt.”
“Those who have committed the crime should be given exemplary punishment,” she said.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi on Friday night ordered a high-level inquiry into the mob assault on a hapless young woman on Guwahati street on last Monday night.
Additional Chief Secretary Emily Choudhury has entrusted to conduct an inquiry barbaric assault on the woman who had just come out of a bar on G S Road in Guwahati. The inquiry report is to be submitted within 15 days.
The Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro), A Agnihotri has ordered the city bars not to serve drinks to the under-aged and to close shops sharp at 10 P.M. (With inputs from PTI)