SIT Under Gauhati High Court to Investigate Rape Charges Against BJP Legislator

ITANAGAR: The Gauhati High Court will constitute a Special Investigation Team to investigate the accusation of rape against BJP MLA from Bameng constituency in Arunachal Pradesh, Goruk Pordung, following an order from the Supreme Court.

A30-year-old married doctor was allegedly raped on the night of October 12 in a city hotel here and the FIR was filed on October 13.

The victim had alleged that Pordung called her to the hotel on the pretext of discussing issues relating to the government primary health centre in his constituency when she was allegedly raped by Pordung.

The woman and her husband had accused the police of delay in filing the complaint and accused the Capital Complex Superintendent of Police, Tumme Amo, of complacency.

Amo, on his part, had said that the delay in registering the case was caused because a preliminary investigation was first carried out.

He had then said that since the victim in her complaint said that she had gone to the hotel on her own accord at around 10 pm, the police had to investigate whether she was raped.

One of the arguments placed by the woman was that the police was acting ‘under the direct influence of the accused MLA and has been conducting investigation in an entirely biased manner”.

The woman alleging the rape had filed a petition on December 18 last year and the case was heard on January 9.

The petition had also claimed that the ‘life and safety of the victim and her members are in imminent danger’.

After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court passed an order transferring the case to the Gauhati High Court.

The order also directed the High Court to form an SIT.

“The High Court to constitute a SIT and supervise the investigation and also to consider other prayers made in the petition,” the order from the top court said.

One of those prayers was to provide security to the woman and the family. The order said that the counsel appearing for the state government “has fairly stated that police protection will be provided to the petitioner”.

The Supreme Court also said that the” Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court is requested to take up the matter himself of assign it to an appropriate Bench”.