[Reader-list] protest against gangrape of a deaf and dumb woman by army in assam

[asit das]

 Gang Rape by Indian Army in front of husband at Indo-Bhutan border

By- Correspondent | Date- September 12, 2011

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.