Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lashed out at the West Bengal government on Friday amid furore over the mishandling of the Kolkata rape case even as his own administration sought to douse the flames after a minor girl was allegedly gang-raped in the state’s Nagaon district a day ago. “In Bengal, when women are tortured, it often protects criminals, and that is why people of Bengal are angry. However, this morning in Assam, when a daughter was tortured, the DGP, other police officers and ministers immediately arrived to investigate the incident, and the accused were immediately arrested,” Sarma said.
A horrific gang-rape incident rocked Dhing town in Nagaon, after a minor girl was attacked while returning home from her class on August 22. The attackers abandoned the 14-year-old girl in a forested area, leaving her in a state of shock and without clothes. Locals found the girl in a semi-conscious state about an hour later and immediately reported her to the local police. She was rescued and taken to the Dhing First Referral Unit (FRU) before being shifted to a hospital in Nagaon due to her critical condition.
Outraged by the incident, residents called for the indefinite closure of shops and businesses until strong measures were taken against the perpetrators. Hundreds of people took to the streets to demand justice for the survivor.
Three men are suspected to be involved in the crime and the police have arrested one of them while searching for the other two. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sent Information Minister Pijush Hazarika and Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh to Dhing to assess the situation. Singh assured that strong legal action will be taken against those responsible.
“Yesterday (Thursday), around 6.30 pm, a reprehensible incident occurred here and an hour later, the SP informed me about the incident and we immediately informed the Chief Minister. I directed the SP to visit the spot and start investigation. The victim is a 14-year-old girl. A case under the POSCO Act has been registered. I was in touch with the SP yesterday and also informed the Chief Minister. Following the directive of the Chief Minister, I came here. I visited the spot and also the house of the victim girl and spoke to the family members. I also spoke to the police officials,” Singh said.
The police chief also said there is a lot of evidence. “I think we will be able to get the mobile data in a short time. The investigation is on track,” he added.
Pijush Hazarika said he had enquired about the health status of the young survivor. “The doctor informed that the victim is recovering. He promised everyone that our government will not spare the criminals who committed such heinous crimes.”
Assam Congress MP Abdur Rashid Mandal expressed his outrage saying, “It is a matter of great shame… I demand that the Police Administration should arrest the culprit and imprison them. They should be hanged to death. Though the POCSO Act provides for life imprisonment, I demand that if necessary, the Act should be amended and such criminals should be hanged to death. There should be no compromise. But criminals should not be identified on the basis of their religion, caste or creed. A criminal is always a criminal. We have noticed that our Chief Minister is classifying criminals on the basis of their religion, which is not acceptable at all… His tactic is to divide and classify people on the basis of their religion…”
BJP MP Manab Deka also weighed in and said, “Crimes against women are a major issue that cuts across religious lines. An incident in Sibsagar, Assam, proved that public intervention can be effective. The steps taken by the local community in response to the incident deserve appreciation. However, there are certain areas of Assam such as Dhubri, Bongaigaon, parts of Nagaon, Goalpara and Morigaon where taking such steps is a challenge. These areas are influenced by particular communities, making it difficult to address the issues in the same manner. The situation in these regions is a concern for the future of Assam as it creates tension and hampers effective action against crime.”
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