Assam girl still waits for justice

By TwoCircles.net news desk

New Delhi: Justice still hesitates to come near certain people. Ruksana Begum of Hailakandi district in Assam is one such unlucky girl, who has been waiting for justice to come her way for more than two years.

Ruksana became the victim of a gang-rape when she was only 15. Two security guards of the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) tore away the security she enjoyed (living) with her widow-mother Sunapakhi Bibi. The cruel incident that changed the life of Ruksana took place at on 2nd February, 2008. Later in the night, the two guards threatened Ruksana, her mother and her relative Abdul Mannan with death if they dared disclose the incident to anybody or inform the police.

However, after meeting with the members of the Barak Human Rights Protection Committee (BHRPC), a human rights organization working in the State, Sunapakhi Bibi lodged a complaint with the Silchar police, which was registered as FIR. The BHRPC also filed a complaint with the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

The BHRPC conducted its own enquiry into the incident and prepared a fact-finding report, which disclosed some important information in the matter. It found that Atul Das, a public servant working as ‘chowkidar’ (fourth grade employee) in the SMCH had abetted the offence. MK Dey, the Superintendent, SMCH, and Sushanta Nath and Surendra Singh, both in-charges of security of the SMCH, facilitated the act of rape by negligence in their duty. The two in-charges were working on behalf of the Barak Security Agency (BSA), a private security firm providing security to the SMCH under contract. The report also pointed its fingers towards the police; it found that NU Laskar, In-Charge of the Ghughoor Out Post under the Silchar Police Station, Ashok Saha, Offficer-in-Charge of the Silchar Police Station, Satyen Gogoi, SP, Cachar and Gautom Ganguly, District Magisterate, violated the substantial rights to remedies and legal and psychological assistance.

The AHRC issued a notice asking the authorities for a report regarding the case. The Superintendent of Police, Cachar, submitted his ‘Enquiry Report’ before the AHRC. But, the report mysteriously remains silent on the charges put forward by the BHRPC. The SP concedes in his report that “prima facie case is well established against FIR-named accused persons”. Later it claims that though the police tried, the accused couldn’t be arrested since they were found absconding to evade arrest. However, the BHRPC says that no attempts have been made to arrest the accused. This shows the negligence on the part of the police growing to a much higher level.

The BHRPC has today written to the chairperson of the National Commission for Women, asking her to immediately intervene in the case. The organization has also asked the Government of Assam to entrust the investigation to the CB, CID, Assam Police. Besides, it has demanded to conduct the trial in a fast track court and to grant adequate compensation to the victim.