At a time when the government has been making efforts to combat rise in cases of rape and other crimes against women, a central government official has been arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping a sixteen-year-old girl in Sonitpur district.
According to information, the Assistant Station Master of Dhekiajuli Road Railway Station, Samir Adhikari, allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl on April 5 evening in Batashipur area under Dhekiajuli Police Station in Sonitpur district.
Numal Mahatta, Additional Superintendent of Police, Sonitpur, informed that the accused, Samir Adhikari, has been arrested in the evening on Wednesday and he has been remanded in police custody. Mahatta said, “The police got the information today only and though the incident had occurred on April 5.”
An awareness programme was organized in Batashipur area under Dhekiajuli Police Station in Sonitpur district involving people of all sections of the society as attempt was being made to safeguard the rape accused. The efforts to save the accused were strongly opposed by the locals and the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) workers at Batashipur during the awareness programme.
Aibt Narzary, District Secretary of the ABSU said, “A 16-year-old girl of Batashipur area was allegedly raped by the Assistant Station Master of Dhekiajuli Road Railway Station, Samir Adhikari, on April 5 evening.”
Narzary informed, “The victim girl was threatened by the accused not to disclose the matter. But the girl revealed everything regarding the incident before her parents. As the incident came to light, the parents of the victim lodged a complaint before police.”
The ABSU workers of the area alleged, “Instead of apprehending the accused, the police were trying to safeguard the rape accused, who was taking shelter in a nearby a security force’s camp.”
In the meantime, bowing to the mounting pressure created through strong protests registered in the Dhekiajuli Rail Road Station on Wednesday in the morning by the ABSU workers and the locals, police arrested the accused in the afternoon.
The ABSU workers have demanded exemplary punishment to the accused and urged the police authority for an impartial investigation into the incident.