By Biplab Kumar Dey
Tura, July 6: Assam police suspended a sub-inspector as well as a woman police officer yesterday after they had allegedly assaulted a woman from Dainadubi in North Garo Hills. Shockingly the assault took place within the premises of the Dudhnoi Police Station (PS) in Goalpara district of Assam on July 4 last.
As per information received, Dudhnoi police had apparently called the victim, Mousumi Momin, and her husband to the PS on the excuse of taking a statement in a case that was filed against her husband. When they reached there, they were informed that a case had been filed against her husband by a coal merchant from Goalpara, Dhrubajyoti Choudhary.
The victim is a resident of Dainadubi in the district of North Garo Hills.
Choudhary had alleged that the victim’s husband had taken money and also promised to deliver coal to him. Interestingly, the coal had been dumped in Dangkong area near Dainadubi which Choudhary expected her husband to illegally transport to him. An amount of Rs 95,000 was apparently paid to Sengkal Marak, the victim’s husband, by Choudhary to illegally transport the coal to Assam from where it was dumped.
“My husband went to get a cup of tea outside the PS when he was informed by a well-wisher that the police were about to assault him. He immediately started to call people that he knew so that they could come forward to help,” said Mousumi this afternoon.
She and her husband had reached the PS at about 2:30 PM. At about 3:30 Sengkal had gone out of the PS for tea. Immediately, a sub inspector, Bishnu Bahadur Newar, accused her of helping her husband run away from the PS.
“I had no clue about what happened and was not involved in any sense in what happened. However, the SI ordered one police woman, identified as Mamta Joshi, to start beating me up. The assault on me started immediately and did not stop. I felt they would murder me. They even outraged my modesty in the PS,” said a traumatized Mousumi.
Since the beatings, she has had tremendous difficulty in lying down or sitting. Her entire backside, including her legs and hands showed bruises to the extent that her skin could not be seen.
“They accused my husband but beat me up when they could not get him. I was locked into a room and forced to bend over to receive their thrashings. They threatened me and took an amount of Rs 50,000 that I had with me for my children’s fees. Further they forced me to sign some agreements and blank pieces of papers. Fearing for my life, I obliged,” added the victim.
She further alleged that the beatings were ordered by the coal merchant, Dhrubajyoti and the SI. The police woman only followed their orders.
The victim added that her phones were switched off by the cops. She was allowed to go after her relatives had intervened. She called her relatives when she was allowed to make calls after the brutal bashing.
The SI in Dudhnoi police station took up the case which actually would fall under Meghalaya as the coal in question was dumped in Dangkong. Further the dumped coal is believed to be illegal.
Following the incident, the victim filed a police complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Goalpara, against the accused cops as well as the coal merchant.
Following the complaint, the two cops involved in the incident have been suspended.
“Following a preliminary inquiry into the incident, we have placed both of them (police personnel) under suspension. A thorough inquiry is being taken up and criminal action will follow after the findings. The matter has been taken very seriously,” said the DSP of Goalpara who has been handed over investigation into the case.