TURA, Sep 5: Immediately after getting bail from the Tura District Court, a disabled woman accused of sex work, who was amongst the last to leave the District Jail, has written to the Rimpu Bagan (NHRC) seeking an intervention into the matter.
The NHRC complaint was filed on Sunday.
In her complaint to the human rights body, the 28-year-old woman, who was allegedly with her would-be husband when the raid took place, has raised serious questions on the entire ‘raid’ conducted by the police.
“I went there with my fiancé as I had returned from Chennai and his sister had come from Bangalore and there was not enough space in our rented house. We reached the place at about 6:30 pm and took up lodging for the night,” the woman wrote.
However at about 7 pm, West Garo Hills police laid seize to the property after which the ordeal began.
“The police asked me and all the other girls to cooperate with them and promised to let us go after a medical check-up. We cooperated with the police who made us wait in the premises from 6:30 pm to 1:30 am on July 23. We were lined up and our photos were taken by the police,” stated the woman in her complaint.
They were then taken to the Tura police station and thereafter for a medical to the Maternity and Child Hospital at about 7:30 am.
She added that no calls were made to her parents or guardians by the police to inform them of her detention. Her brother however went to the police station on July 23 and signed in the register. The next day her parents reached the police station after they were informed by well wishers. “As I have a speech disorder, my fiancé informed the authorities of the situation and wanted to speak on my behalf. However they were not willing to listen. I was then sent to the Tura District Jail along with the rest of the girls where warden, Purabi Das, assaulted me the next day without any form of provocation. Again during my statement, investigating officer (IO) Mamata Hajong asked me to falsely state that I was not with my would-be husband but someone else. They later accused me of being a sex worker,” she added.
Her attempts at getting bail in the case were allegedly thwarted by the IO who had sought more time to question me as she had already told the Court that I was a sex worker despite there being not even an iota of proof,” said the complainant.
She further added that she remained wrongly incarcerated from July 22 up to September 3 and is amongst the last to be released despite the police and Court knowing of her disability.
“This wrongful arrest and incarceration has led me to suffer mental trauma. Being a person with disabilities, there was no reason for me being arrested when the police had no proof of any wrongdoing from our end,” she asserted.
Seeking action against West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore, the IO as well as the jail warden, the complainant said: “I have been termed a prostitute by the police in the case filed against me despite me being a person with disabilities (PwD) and my bail applications were rejected on the ground of me being a sex worker. This is not only wholly wrong but absurd. Those responsible for such harassment and trauma should face the consequences”.
Meanwhile, as many as six more complaints were filed with the NHRC by those arrested during the Rimpu Bagan raid, seeking action against the people responsible for what they termed wrongful arrest, harassment by the police and mental trauma.
The total number of complaints made with the NHRC in the Rimpu Bagan case currently stands at 22 with more likely to come forward to add to the numbers.
