Women rights activist says government needs to respond better on rape cases

A women rights activist, Jagmati Sangwan, has said that the government needs to respond quicker and better to incidents of rape, as society is increasingly becoming intolerant about such cases continuously being ignored and dealt with promptly.

"People are coming out after the 16th December, 2012 case. They are not able to tolerate such cases. The government is also not doing their duty on time, and that is why their tolerance is going out of control."

Warning that people are taking the law into their own hands because of this lack of response from the government, Sangwan further said that the incident of a mob in Nagaland barging into the Dimapur Central Jail on Thursday afternoon, and lynching a rape accused after dragging him out of the premises, was most unfortunate.

"This is a very unfortunate incident. We are not bound to take law into our own hands. But there is no commitment or discharge of duty by the administration. The government has to respond at a faster pace," Sangwan said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "We are taking all necessary steps, additional forces will be deployed."

Nagaland's Director General of Police L.L. Doungel was quoted, as saying by a television channel "Studying footage. Will not spare mob murderers. Inquiry will also look into police lapses."

Police said the mob overpowered jail security, tied up the man and dragged him for seven kilometres, thrashing him along the way. By the end, he succumbed to his injuries.

Curfew was imposed in Dimapur town following incidents of arson.

"The situation is grim. The rape accused is said to be an illegal Bangladeshi infiltrator," Nagaland DGP L L Doungel, who rushed from Kohima to Dimapur, said. He added that a few arrests had been made.

The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Syed Farid Khan, a small-time trader who dealt in scrap and used motor cars.

The incident triggered a backlash against Bangladeshi immigrants, with houses and shops run by them coming under attack.

The state has been in the grip of an agitation over the issue of illegal immigrants for the past two weeks.