Our Bureau
TURA/Shillong: Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Tura and a night clampdown in the rest of the West Garo Hills district following violence which erupted in the town over rumours about an alleged molestation of a girl by a group of five labourers on Friday evening.
The sudden spurt in violence has led to large scale vandalism and attack on several people including the torching of a vehicle.
Two bodies have been retrieved from near the Tura Civil Hospital where a frenzied mob attacked passing vehicles and pedestrians besides attempting to forcibly enter the health facility to bring out three alleged suspects involved in the molestation attempt.
The alleged attempt to molest a mentally retarded 18-year-old teenager reportedly took place at Wadanang locality where the girl resides.
“We came to know that these labourers were loading some goods and they asked the girl to help them which she did but one of them held her from behind and the girl made a hue and cry,” Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi informed.
Angry locals managed to catch hold of three of the accused while the remaining two fled. The three were given a merciless beating before police arrived on the scene to take them away.
However, news of the incident spread like wildfire and very soon several hundred young men had arrived at the premises of the Tura Civil Hospital where the three labourers were admitted with grievous injuries sustained from the mob attack.
The mob pelted stones and taunted police personnel who tried to prevent them from entering the hospital. They also damaged several vehicles through stone pelting and overturned a police vehicle (Gypsy) forcing security force personnel to open blank fire in the air to disperse the unruly crowd.
A Tata winger vehicle that was passing through the hospital area bore the brunt of the mob anger which set it ablaze and chased its occupants. One of them was bludgeoned to death on the side walk while the body of another was recovered further down near a stream.
The administration, which was caught unawares by the sudden turn of events, imposed indefinite curfew with immediate effect in and around Tura town while the rest of the district was clamped with night curfew to prevent the violence from spreading to other areas.
“All police stations have been alerted and have been asked to be on tight vigil besides barricades have also been put-up in exit points of the town,” informed the Deputy Commissioner while adding that the medical report of the girl confirmed that she was not raped.
Meanwhile, the three seriously injured labourers who bore the brunt of the mob attack have been transferred to a hospital in Guwahati for medical treatment. Their condition remain critical, it was reported.
Mob targets business establishments, media not spared
Groups of young boys and men angry over reports about the alleged molestation attempt vented their anger out on several shops and business houses barging in and damaging property besides assaulting traders and shopkeepers in Tura market, Ringrey, Hawakhana and Dermile.
As news spread about the incident at Wadanang, men in groups swooped down on shops smashing glasses, assaulting workers and forcibly closing down the shops.
Frightened traders hurriedly downed shutters and the main market wore a deserted look during the peak evening hours of trading.
The mob also did not spare working journalists from discharging their duties and some in the crowd tried to manhandle press persons and destroyed equipment. A journalist covering the incident at Tura Civil Hospital had his camera cum video handycam snatched from his hands and destroyed by some within the crowd.