Hmar groups protests against rape & murder, demands compensation & capital punishment

October 19: A vigorous protest movement led by the Hmar Students’ Association rocked the street near the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Cachar. On Saturday, a number of Hmar groups protested demanding justice for the brutal rape and subsequent murder of a 17 year old girl at Dwarbond.

With placards in their hands, the protesters demanded that the culprits involved in this heinous crime be immediately arrested and the family of the victim be provided a compensation of Rs 20 lakh. In the placards, they wrote:  ‘We want justice’, ‘Hang the gang of rapists’, ‘Punish the guilty’, ‘Compensate the family of rape victim’ etc.

The 17-year-old girl from the Hmar community was allegedly raped and murdered in Dwarbond area under Dholai constituency. on 17 October, 2019. The victims father lodged a complaint with Dwarbond police in this connection. Barak Valley Indigenous Ethinic People Coordination Committee had on Thursday mounted pressure on the administration to nab the culprits at the earliest. Acting on the FIR, the police launched a massive hunt for the culprits. Sniffer dogs were brought at the place of the crime.

After a thorough investigation, Silchar Sadar Thana officer-in-charge Ditumoni Goswami along with investigating officer Ram Dular Goala-In charge of Dwarbond Police station went to Bagbahar area to nab the suspected culprits. Ram Dular Goala informed that the prime accused in this case, Rajen Das hanged himself by a tree in a nearby tea garden before the police could nab him.

Police arrested three other accused in this connection. The 3 arrested are Biswajit Das- brother of prime arrested Rajen Das who committed suicide, Shishir Das alias Mayna Das and one Samiran Das. All of them are thoroughly interrogated to find out further details and modus oparandi of the crime.

The victim was a 12^th standard student of Borjalenga Higher Secondary School. She used to do tuition in her village. On that fateful day, the girl out from her house at 3 PM on foot to teach a kindergarten student. As she did not return till 6 pm, so the family members were quite tensed. Her father along with some others set out to search the girl. Finally, her body was found lying in a paddy field, more than 2 kilometres away from their house. The girl was raped and then subsequently murdered and left in the field.