September 13, 2011
[1] http://www.timesofassam.com/crime/gang-rape-by-indian-army-in-front-of-husband-at-indo-bhutan-border/
[2] http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-12/guwahati/30144451_1_ssb-jawans-exemplary-punishment
—————–
[1]
In a heinous incident, not new to the rural North East India, a woman from rural Kokrajhar district near the Indo- Bhutan border was allegedly gang raped by Jawans of SSB on the night of 10th September.
As per reports, a deaf and dumb 35 year old woman Deobari Basumatary, wife of Amal Basumatary was gang raped at night in front of her husband by the SSB Jawans. The incident happened at village No.1 Sonapur under Bismuri Police in the Kokrajhar district of Assam.
According to Amal Basumatary, husband of the victim, a group of SSB Jawans forcefully entered their house at around 11.30 pm, manhandled him and raped his wife in front of him. Later they dragged her to a nearby place and repeatedly raped her one after another.
The victim, Deobari Basumatary, her husband and the villagers, including the Gaonbura, came to Bismuri to file an FIR against the SSB Jawans on 11th September.
Noted human rights organization Borosa Foundation for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights have taken up the matter and have made a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) about the matter. In a press release issued by the organization, they have stated that “these incidents have exposed an ugly anti-people attitude of some rowdy and indiscipline Jawans involved in the crimes who are otherwise deployed to help in protecting lives and properties of the innocent people and maintain law and order in the trouble torn region”. Condemning the incident, the organization stated that these are clear examples of Human Rights violation and because no appropriate actions was taken so far to punish the culprits involved in previous incidents, the crimes have been repeated again and again in the district.
Mentionable that some months back, one Manek Goyary of village Tharaibari of Choraikola was also reportedly raped by six 15 Dogra regiment stationed at Adabri on 20th April, 2011. An FIR was lodged at Kokrajhar police station but to no effect.
The incident has once again put a question mark over the functioning of the Indian Army in the north eastern region and the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) which is active in the region in spite of stiff resentment by the people of the region.
——————-
[2]
Kokrajhar: A partially physically challenged Bodo man has filed an FIR alleging that his 35-year-old deaf and dumb wife has been gangraped by 10 jawans of Sasashtra Seema Bal (SSB) in front of him. The incident took place on Saturday night
The man from Sonapur village near the Indo-Bhutanese border said, “Ten men in uniform barged into my hut around 11 pm on Saturday and beat me up and raped my wife. Later, they dragged her outside to the forest where she was again raped.” He demanded capital punishment for the culprits besides compensation.
Kokrajhar additional SP HK Das said, “We have registered the FIR and an investigation is on. The woman has been sent to the civil hospital for medical examination.”
However, a senior official of Adabari-based 16 SSB, the unit to which the jawans belong, denied the allegation. “We are open to investigation. We smell some conspiracy. But we will fully cooperate with police. If any of our jawans are involved in the incident, they will not be spared.”
Various Boro organizations like Absu and the Boro Samaj have demanded exemplary punishment for the guilty. Absu’s Kokrajhar district president Lorench Islary has condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest and of the culprits. Islary said, “We cannot allow it to degenerate to such public nuisance by men in uniform again in Kokrajhar. The culprits must be booked and punished according to law.”
The All Bodo Women’s Welfare Federation (ABWWF) and BPF’s women wing president Jamuna Rani Brahma have also condemned the incident.
