North Lakhimpur: The murder of two young married women in quick succession in the Lakhimpur district has raised concerns for the safety and security of women in society as gender-based violence has increased unprecedentedly in recent times.
Debolina Sonowal (18), daughter of Pradeep Sonowal of Kekuri Sonowalgaon under Sonari Chapori Police Outpost in Dhakuakhana was found dead on May 14 in her husband’s residence at Narayanpur Chapori in Dhakuakhana under mysterious condition.
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It was learnt that Debolina was found hanging from the ceiling and her husband brought the body down without informing the police.
Her family alleged that Debolina’s husband Pawan Baruah (25) murdered her and staged it to look like a suicide.
They also said that Debolina, who had eloped with Pawan two months ago, was tortured by her husband demanding Rs 5 lakh and a gold chain.
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The incident led to angry protests by villagers who demanded immediate arrest of Pawan Baruah.
The angry villagers also stopped the cremation of the victim by her husband’s family upon arrival from Lakhimpur Medical College Hospital after a post-mortem on May 15 and performed her last rites at the premise of the accused.
The police meanwhile arrested Pawan Baruah and produced him before the judicial authorities after registering a case.
In another incident, one Kuhi Gogoi (29) was found dead in a mysterious condition in Mornoi Grazing of Bihpuria on the night of May 12.
Kuhi was five months pregnant at the time of her death.
The family of Kuhi, who are from Bogeenadi has alleged that their daughter was murdered by her husband Akash Medhi.
They also accused that the police had not arrested Akash despite their complaint.
Today a group of women from Bogeenadi protested in front of Bihpuria Police Station condemning the police inaction in arresting the accused.
Earlier on May 4, an 11-year-old girl from Bhimpora in Bogeenadi was kidnapped on her way to LMCH with her grandmother.
Oye Chungkrung and her grandmother boarded a Magic mini-van from Bogeenadi to LMCH in North Lakhimpur but the vehicle took them to Kimin in Arunachal Pradesh.
The grandmother was thrown out from the vehicle on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary before it entered Kimin with the girl.
No traces of the abducted girl have been found by police so far.
The recent rise in crime against women in Lakhimpur has created a sense of public insecurity in the district.