Guwahati: A 35-year woman, Bonti Chutia who had reportedly came to attend a public interaction event with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on February 26 afternoon in Jorhat in eastern Assam was allegedly burnt to death by her husband following a quarrel after she had returned home.
Police informed that the woman’s husband too was battling for life in Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh after sustaining over 60 per cent burn injuries.
The woman could not make any statement before police before her death in the hospital. Both were admitted in hospital with burn injuries on February 27 last.
The woman was a ward member of a panchayat under Titabor Legislative Assembly Constituency represented by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
After the death of the woman due to burn injuries a section of media here to report that she was one of the women who kissed the Congress leader during the interaction in Jorhat was set on fire by her furious husband, Someswar Chutia. The reports quoted neighbours.
However, senior police officials in Jorhat and Titabor said the incident should not be linked to with Rahul Gandhi’s interaction as the woman was not among the select 600 women inside the interaction hall though she was in the crowd outside. She never came close to Rahul
Gandhi. Investigation was on to ascertain how the woman and her husband got burnt.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesman Mehdi Alam Bora informed that the death of Bonti Chutia was no way connected to her reported presence in interactive session with Rahul Gandhi in Jorhat on February 26 afternoon.
“As per our record, Bonti Chutia was not among the 600 select women who attended interaction with Rahul Gandhi in Jorhat. Her death can’t be linked to the interactive session. How she and her husband got burnt is a matter under investigation. Both were burnt on Thursday (February 27)”.
Police claimed to have checked the video of Rahul Gandhi’s interactive session with women in Jorhat in the afternoon of February 26 and found that Bonti Chutia was nowhere close to him throughout the function. At least two women had kissed Rahul Gandhi during his interactive session following which his personal security personnel stepped in to prevent more women coming close to him.
