Guwahati: Protests demanding stringent punishment for those accused of raping a minor tribal girl continued in Assam’s Chirang district on Tuesday, with student and social organisations staging a three-hour sit-in at the district headquarters in Kajalgaon.
The protesters demanded that the three accused be tried under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other applicable laws. They also sought justice for the Class 10 student and strict punishment for those found guilty.
Representatives of the participating organisations submitted a memorandum addressed to Assam Chief Minister and the Director General of Police through the Chirang District Commissioner.
The protest was organised by the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and the Tribal Union. Representatives and members of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), All Bodo Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU), All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRACSU) and NEMSU, besides students from several educational institutions, also participated.
“Today in Chirang district, different student organisations and other organisations are protesting against the heinous crime that happened. The Class 10 minor girl was brutally raped and we demand justice for the girl. POCSO should be strictly imposed on the perpetrators and they should be given capital punishment,” said Dilip Kumar Basumatari, president of the Chirang district unit of the ABSU.
Basumatari also thanked the Chirang district authorities, including the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police, for arresting the accused within three to four hours of the alleged crime.
“The punishment should be exemplary so that people don’t dare to commit such a crime again,” he said.
Maniram Rai, president of the BTC unit of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRASU), said the protest was aimed at seeking justice for the minor and ensuring that those responsible face stringent punishment.
“The protest is to seek justice for the minor girl who was brutally raped. We want to bring to the attention of the Assam government and the BTC government that the accused be given the strictest punishment and that they cannot escape,” Rai said.
The protest comes amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged rape of the Class 10 student by three youths in Kajalgaon on July 24.
One of the accused, 20-year-old Nasirul Sheikh of Bartalowa village, was injured in police firing on Monday after he allegedly attacked a constable and attempted to flee while being taken to the alleged crime scene for a recreation of the incident.
According to the investigation, Sheikh, who was reportedly in a relationship with the minor, allegedly lured her to Kajalgaon and took her to a rented house in Chatipur.
Police allege that Sheikh and two others, identified as Pir Mohammad, 25, and Harunul Hassen, 19, raped the girl at the house.
The three accused are being investigated in connection with the case. Protesters have demanded stringent legal action against them and urged authorities to ensure that the accused face the full force of the law.