Sibsagar: Thousands of protestors on Friday demonstrated before the office of the deputy commissioner of Sibsagar demanding punishment of army jawans involved in alleged molestation of a teenage girl on July 13.
The protestors, belonging to 22 outfits, also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for the girl, removal of the Army from Sibsagar district and withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
Various organisations and individuals have been leading protests against the incident, including a Sivsagar-district bandh and a statewide bandh in the last two days.
The 22 outfits include the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Brihattar Asomiya Parishad.
Agitators shouted slogans against the Army and asked the government to deal with the case in line with the infamous July 9 molestation case of a girl in a street of Guwahati.
They called for immediate action against the Army jawans responsible for molesting the girl near Nitaipukhuri in Demow in Sibsagar district on July 13. The girl had gone to collect firewood in the flood area when she was confronted by some jawans posted in a nearby army camp.
She shouted for help which attracted the attention of the villagers who rushed to the spot. A complaint was lodged with the local police station and one of the jawans has been arrested but he is in army custody.
The agitators want the case to be handled by civil authorities and the jawans to be arrested by the police. The agitators have been demanding exemplary action against the Army jawan.
Meanwhile, the district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Demow incident. Locals had identified the jawan and the army has initiated its enquiry into the matter. The state government has also directed the DC, Sivsagar, to institute a magisterial-level probe into the incident. (Agencies)
