By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Police are yet to trace the remaining accused involved in the Williamnagar gang-rape incident in which an 18-year-old girl was gangraped by a group of 16 boys while returning from the Simsang Festival at Williamnagar recently.
As many as 15 accused, mostly juveniles, have been arrested by police.
“We are yet to trace the whereabouts of the last accused but other accused have been chargesheeted and accordingly forwarded to the court,” East Garo Hills Superintendent of Police JFK Marak said here on Friday.
Marak refused to comment on whether the East Garo Hills district administration is conducting a trial of the case every week as requested by the police following the absence of the fast track court in East Garo Hills stating that “The matter is out of my jurisdiction. It is upto the court to deal with the matter.”
When contacted, a member of the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission Ganchi R Marak said “As far as my knowledge is concerned, due to holiday season, no trial has been conducted but I have no knowledge what the government is doing in this regard.”
The commission is also stressing on the need for a fast track court in every district, Marak said, adding that recently, a meeting was held with all the deputy commissioners of all the districts of the state whereby this issue was also brought to the notice of the government.
She further informed that several meetings were held to discuss the incidents of crime against women and hearings were held in this regard.
She also expressed concern over the lapse on the part of the health department stating that there were no prompt actions on the part of the medical practitioners when the Williamnagar rape victim was brought to the hospital.
On the other hand, irked by lack of proper response on the part of the East Garo Hills district administration to meet their demand of setting up a fast track court in the district, A’chik Youth Welfare Organization (AYWO) president Adinson Ch. Momin said that swift trial should take place to punish the guilty.
Momin, who is also the general secretary of the Peoples Movement for Democratic Rights (PMDR), said: “We will continue to demand for a fast track court in the district keeping in mind the availability of man-power.”
He further stated that the NGOs will be compelled to agitate demanding early completion of the case and conviction of the accused before 2013. The victim is still under treatment in the hospital.
The North East Network has also condemned the sexual violence and assault on women and joined hands with all those who have demanded fast track courts in all the districts of the State.