Class 10 girl gang-raped while returning from tuition in Assam's Nagaon; massive protest erupts

Guwahati: In what has triggered massive protest a class 10 student was gang raped by three persons on Thursday evening near Dhing town in central Assam's Nagaon district.

Police said that the girl was found lying near a pond on Thursday evening in a semi-conscious condition and was shifted to hospital by local people. The 14-year girl was returning from tuition on her by-cycle.

Police said that they have picked up two persons in connection with the case. “We are looking for two more persons,” police said.

The incident in Dhing, a minority-dominated area, triggered outrage among the locals who called for an indefinite shutdown of shops and business establishments until strict action is taken against the culprits.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that this was not the first incident., ““This is the 23rd such incident since the Lok Sabha elections where people of a particular community have been found involved. They are getting a lot of encouragement after the parliamentary polls.”

He said the indigenous people have been living in fear wherever they have become a minority in Assam. “Unfortunately, in places where we are in the majority, people either refuse to accept this or choose to be indifferent. If anything happens in Assam, the tendency is to turn it into an Assamese-Bengali conflict or something against the Marwaris,” the chief minister said.

He went on saying, “Sooner the people of Assam realise this, it is better. It was high time the indigenous people realised who friends and enemies are.”

Meanwhile a large number of civil society leaders led by women groups staged a massive protest and demanded strict action against. The culprits. They also accused police of being lethargic in taking action. The Student Union has called a Bandh in the area.

The incident comes amid national outrage against sexual violence in the aftermath of the horrifying rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at a Kolkata hospital on August 9. Civil society groups in Nagaon have started protests. They have said police must catch within 12 hours the three suspects the minor has said were involved in the crime. A bandh has also been called.

Assam DGP GP Singh who visited the family of victim said that they are extending all necessary support to Nagaon police to apprehend the culprits. One of them has been arrested and two are still at large, he said, adding that necessary steps have also been taken to check such incidents in future. “We have also taken note of complaints of the civil society,” he said.