Army Soldiers Rape Three Girls, Including Minor, in Assam

NEW DELHI: The state of Assam is once again in the news for the wrong reasons. The alleged rape of three women, including a teenager by Army jawans in Dokmoka town of the Karbi Anglong district on April 6 has brought the women out on the streets in protest in huge numbers.

Women gathered in droves and took out a rally under the banner of Karbi Nimso Chinthur Asong (Karbi Progressive Women's Association) in Diphu against the alleged rape. They gheraoed the office of the district Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum demanding a high-level inquiry into the incident.

A team of eight jawans had raped three women of whom one was a teenager, at the Khorsim Athor village in Anjukpani under Dokmoka police station in the Karbi Anglong district on Monday, according to the police.

An FIR was lodged in the Dokmoka police station on Wednesday night by the villagers who produced the three victims before the police.

As per media reports, the jawans on patrol reached the village and took the 13-year-old to the neighbouring jungle.The girl's mother and another relative later reached the site to rescue her and the jawans then raped the other two women as well.

M.J. Mahanta, Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police, after the medical examination of the three women said that a team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters) L. Singhson has been formed to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

"We have already intimated the matter to the army who in return assured us of all support. Already two cases have been registered in Dokmoka police station," Mahanta said. He added that the police has also recovered some clothes of the jawans from the jungle which would also be sent for tests at the laboratory .

On the other hand, the Defence public relations officer Suneet Newton has taken the usual stand.

"We acknowledge that an FIR has been lodged. We are fully cooperating with the police and the investigation. We learnt that the investigation team has gone to the spot. We are also carrying out our internal investigation and if the allegations are found to be true, appropriate action will be taken against the accused according to the law”, he said.

The women protesters while urging a high-level inquiry into the matter alleged that such incidents are not new and have been taking place for quite some time.

The army has been deployed heavily since years in the two hill districts of Assam- Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao for carrying out operations against the militant outfits along with police and central paramilitary forces.