Three Karbi Anglong Government Officials Suspended on Rape Charges

KAAC Suspends 3 Employees, Organizations Demand Probe

After startling unveiling of a sex racket in Diphu town by Karbi women’s organization KNCA (Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong) and subsequent involvement of some government officials in the racket as claimed by the organization, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council issued suspension orders against three government officials.

The KAAC action came after massive protest by several social organizations, student body and political parties. Hemari Kro, serving as Head Assistant in the office of the Inspector of Schools Karbi Anglong, Biren Kro serving in the same office and Pradip Timung, an ACS officer posted as Deputy Director of Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD), Karbi Anglong will face departmental enquiry as well as from judiciary probe. Statements of the two women accused of harbouring immoral flesh trade and the two minor girls were recorded before Miss. Debahuti Bora, trying Magistrate of the case.

Tuliram Ronghang, Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council has assured all organizations and political parties to initiate investigations under the provision of law against the offenders if proven guilty.

Karbi Anglong BJP has described the whole incident as fallout of rampant corruption by the privileged few of the government fund intended for development projects.

The BJP has indicted that the privileged group has filled their coffers with an unimaginable quantity of public money by depriving the common people, ensuring the dependency of a large section of society who have more than plenty. The BJP demanded the removal of the sex racket from Karbi society and legal action against all those involved in the illicit affair.

Karbi Students Association (Inglongpho), KSA (Leeon) and KSA (Laichan) has stipulated immediate action against all erring officials and the pimps. The factions of KSA cautioned the authority they will take up agitation if the government does not reciprocate properly.

“Allegation against me indulging in inappropriate activity in my office on May 27 is false. I came to know about the allegation on June 1 through news paper. Many people come to my office with various requests like donation and help. Probably I have hurt somebody by refusing to comply with their request which I can’t remember. This is a conspiracy against me to tarnish my image by some quarters by planting such a ridiculous story; I like to appeal to the public not to believe such false and fabricated allegation,” Hemari Kro said, while denying the charges levelled against him.

It may be mentioned here that Diphu based Karbi women organization KNCA claimed that at least two government officials including one ACS officer are involved in sexually assaulting two minor girls after administering drugs inside the premises of a government office on May 27.

The activists of KNCA busted a racket of flesh traders functioning in Diphu town. Two women believed to be kingpins of the racket were apprehended by the lady members of the KNCA. The women later confessed that they were involved in doping naive under aged village girls to run their illicit trade. Both pimps were later handed over to Diphu police along with the two minor girls.

In their confessional statement, the two accused admitted they brought the two minor girls from Satgaon area of Hamren subdivision on May 26. The girls stayed in the residence of the two pimps. On May 28 they took the girls to the office of the Inspector of School around 8.30 AM where one of the girls was forced to take certain drugs by the Head Assistant of the office Hemari Kro in a closed office chamber. The drug made her semiconscious and in that state she was raped repeatedly by Hemari Kro.

As alleged by the two women accused of running flesh trade, on the next day due to their provocation Prodip Timung an ACS officer posted as Deputy Director of Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) visited the house of the two women where the other girl was accommodated, Prodip Timung also raped the girl forcefully.

Later both girls were sent back to their native village. The victims came back to Diphu on May 28 along with their legal guardians and contacted the KNCA activists and they pointed out the house where they were kept. KNCA activists loosing no time, held the two operatives and virtually dragged them to the police station.

Sushanta Roy is a journalist in Assam, India, who photographs and writes about the people, animals and flora of Assam, and the things that affect them.