From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Two more persons allegedly involved in the girl molestation case have been arrested while a sub-inspector of police posted in Dispur a police station suspended for dereliction of duty.
Six days after the incident that triggered a public outrage, 10 persons identified through video clippings have still not been nabbed.
The journalist of a city-based TV channel who was on the spot covering the rime as it was unfolding n July 9 night, has quit his job to ‘facilitate fair investigation into the case’.
He has been accused by leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi of instigating the crime.
Police informed about arrest of two more persons — Diganta Basumatary and Navajyoti Deka. One of the key accused Amarjyoti Kalita, however, is still at large. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had given direction to the police on Saturday to arrest the culprits within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, city police has suspected a sub-inspector Subhan Chandra Barua for dereliction of duty.
He allegedly did not respond to phone calls made from the bar where the victim of molestation and her friends had gone for a drink on Monday night.
The city police under fire from various quarters for failing to reach the crime scene on time though it had happened at a prime location along the arterial G S Road and just about 2 kilometers away from the State capital complex at Dispur
Meanwhile, the TV journalist in question Gaurav Jyoti Neog on Sunday had quit his job in the TV channel till the enquiry into the crime is completed and his resignation has been accepted by the management.
The channel had decided to air the shocking visuals of the molestation to enable the viewers to see the ugly face of the molesters and help police to identify and punish them, in which it has been successful, he said.
Police are also probing charges by a local daily editor who claimed to be an eyewitness to the molestation incident, that a mob of nearly 40 people had tried to gang-rape her that night.
The channel’s managing editor Zarir Hussain said that the management told Gaurav that he would be taken back if the on-going police investigation did not find his involvement in the crime.
The journalist also resigned from the primary membership of the Electronic Media Forum of Assam (EMFA).
A large number of youth, women, on Sunday took out a protest rally in Guwahati city under the leadership of Akhil Gogoi demanding arrest of all the culprits involved in the despicable crime.
They also staged demonstration in front of the local TV channel which beamed the first visual of the crime, demanding arrest of one of its journalists Gaurav Jyoti Neog of instigating the crime besides closure of the TV channel.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi gave direction to the police on Saturday to arrest the culprits within 48 hours.
Prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita, however, is still at large. There were some reports that he has been detained in Odisha but the police denied it.
Kalita’s father Mahesh Kalita said, “if he (Amarjyoti) is found guilty, he must be punished. We feel very sad and angry”.
Police has come under sever criticism from various quarters with allegations being made that cops reached the spot around 45 minutes after the molestation of the girl in the city’s busy Christianbasti area on GS Road.
A one-member commission under Additional Chief Secretary Emily Choudhury has been constituted to investigate the incident and submit a report within 15 days.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women team, who arrived in Guwahati to investigate into the incident Saturday, also pointed loopholes on the part of the police while dealing with the incident.
The two member team of the Commission will meet Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday. (With inputs from Agecies)