Assam Cong leader arrested on charge of raping woman

"People raised an alarm late last night after Congress leader Bikram Singh Brahma allegedly raped a woman at Santipura village and gheraoed him," Chirang Superintendent of Police Kumar Sanjeev Krishna said today.

Brahma, who is the Baksa district Congress Committee chairman and Congress coordinator of Bodoland Territorial Council, was beaten up by men and women who ripped of his clothes.

He was later handed over to the police, the SP said.

A case was registered after the victim's husband filed an FIR and required action would be taken, he said.

Condemning the incident, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who was in Delhi, said anyone found guilty of the henious crime "would not be spared, whether he is Congressman or not"

"It is the most condemnable act. Anyone who commits rape or attempts it should be given stringent punishment," he said, adding his government has been strict in handling such cases like the Guawahati molestation incident.

"The government does not make a distinction whether the culprit is a Congressman or from any other party. Action will be taken as per law," the Chief Minister said while favouring fast tracking of such cases.

He said in the molestation case too, he had ordered an inquiry to find out if their was any lapse which led to acquittal of some of the accused.