Sushanta Talukdar.
Hundreds of activists of 22 organisations staged a novel protest in upper Assam’s Sivasagar town on Wednesday against the State government’s alleged inaction against an Army jawan of the 287 Field Regiment, who was accused of molesting a tribal girl at Nitaipukhuri in Sivasagar district on July 12. The protesters were bare-chested.
The district has been witnessing a series of protests over the alleged molestation. The district administration maintained that the jawan was arrested and produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM). However, the Army sought his custody as an Army Court of Inquiry has been constituted and has begun the proceedings. The CJM court asked the police to hand over the jawan to the Army.
The Army Court of Inquiry began recording statements on July 21, while a magisterial probe also began the same day.
The protesters have been demanding a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh for the victim, a government job and the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, besides action against the jawan.
Meanwhile, key accused in the July 9 Guwahati molestation case Amarjyoti Kalita was brought to the city by an Assam police team from Varanasi.
-via The Hindu
