Mob gheraoe police outpost to protest assault and torture of 3

Tension prevailed in Assam's Darrang district as an irate mob Wednesday gheraoed the Burha police outpost demanding arrest of the police official allegedly involved in the assault and torture of three sisters, police said.

Nearly four hundred men and women gheraoed the police outpost shouting slogans against its suspended in-charge Mahendra Sarma, demanding his immediate arrest and dismissal from service.

Senior police officials of the district have rushed to the area to defuse the situation, but tension continues to prevail in the area, a police official said here.

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) also staged a protest in Kalgachia area of the district demanding immediate arrest of Sarma.

On the other hand, members of the All Assam Yuva Brahmin Parishad staged a demonstration at Mangaldoi demanding that Sarma's suspension be immediately revoked as the "police official was doing his duty in trying to nab a person involved in a case of love jihad".

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have taken suo moto cognisance of the incident and directed the state authorities to take stern action against the culprits.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into the alleged assault and torture of three women inside a police outpost by a police by Central Western Range DIG- Brojenjit Singh.

Sarma and constable Binita Boro of the outpost have been already placed under suspension.

The women were picked up from their home in Guwahati in connection with a kidnapping case filed against their brother and brought to Burha police outpost of the district on September nine last, Darrang Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan said.

The three women were later released after the brother and the woman he had allegedly kidnapped surrendered at the police outpost.

The women, however, later alleged in a complaint to the Superintendent of Police, that they were stripped, assaulted and tortured by Sarmah and received severe injuries.

They also claimed before the media that the eldest of the sister, who was two months pregnant, had miscarried following the assault.

The women were initally taken to the Helengpara primary health centre and the doctor present there referred them to Guwahati Medical College Hospital for medical examination.

Bhuyan said an inquiry has been ordered by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters)- Mamoni Hazarika- into the allegations of use of excess force by Sarma.

The medical examination of the women have been carried out and the report is yet to be received, the SP said.

"If the inquiry points to use of excess force, then necessary action against the police official will be taken", he added.

Taking suo moto cognisance of media reports, NHRC observed that the contents of media reports, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights.

"Accordingly, notices have been issued to Assam Chief Secretary and the DGP calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks including medical treatment record of the victim and present status of her health condition", NHRC release said.

The report must speak whether prior permission of the Judicial Magistrate was taken by the police team to arrest the women victims during the night of September eight,the release said.

The Commission would also like to know whether any steps have been taken by the state authorities to provide any kind of relief and counselling to the victims, the release added.