GUWAHATI, May 31: Assam Police on Monday arrested two persons in connection with the alleged rape of a woman from the tea garden community while she was returning home from a hospital after testing COVID-negative in the Borhaat Nagamaati area of Sonari constituency in Upper Assam’s Charaideo district last week.
Confirming the development, Charaideo superintendent of police Sudhakar Singh informed The Shillong Times on Monday afternoon that two persons have been arrested for the crime and that they would be produced before the court.
It may be mentioned that the incident happened when the two women, a mother and daughter, were walking home after testing negative for COVID and subsequently discharged from Sapekhati Model Hospital in Charaideo district hospital on the evening of May 27.
“The FIR was lodged on May 29, as we believe, the woman was in shock and perhaps recovering from illness. It has been alleged that she was pulled and raped inside a tea garden while she was returning home. We are however awaiting the medical report,” the SP said.
The woman’s daughter (aged between 18 and 20 years) had reportedly fled the scene when the incident took place.
Police informed that the two have been identified and that they belong to that area.
Reportedly, the women were compelled to walk home after they were denied an ambulance by the hospital authorities, which however is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has strongly condemned the incident, expressing surprise that the hospital authorities could not reportedly provide an ambulance to drop the mother-daughter duo home.
In a statement issued here on Monday, the Assam PCC stated that “the most surprising fact is that the hospital authorities of Sapekhati Model Hospital could not provide an ambulance to drop the woman and her daughter who were COVID patients and were discharged after they turned negative. The mother and daughter were left to fend for themselves when lockdown (curfew) was in place. Isn’t it the responsibility of the hospital and local authorities to see to it that the woman and her daughter reached their home safely?”
The Opposition party asked the Assam government to take stern action against the culprits.
“The honourable chief minister had, upon taking office, stated that the safety of women in Assam would be his top priority. Is this his example of safety of women? We are all aware and it is a matter of utter shame that crime against women in Assam has been the highest in the country in the past three consecutive years,” the Assam PCC stated.
“Incidents of crime against women are growing unabated. If the government remains silent and does not take concrete steps, the safety of our women and girls are at great risk. Is this why the women of Assam voted for the BJP? A government that cannot ensure the safety of its women and children has no basic right to remain in power,” it asserted.
A few days back, BJP MLA from Khumtai, Mrinal Saikia had also tweeted that the Golaghat Civil Hospital refused to admit two COVID patients to the hospital and he had to arrange an ambulance for the patients.
“So this is the actual ground situation of health infrastructure and COVID management in Assam,”APCC stated.