Dimapur, June 5 (MExN): A girl of about 8 years was today late afternoon raped reportedly by the vice-chairman of the Satakha Town Adhoc Council in Satakha town, Zunheboto. The crime took place in the victim’s house at around 3:00 PM, police said. At the time of filing this news report, the condition of the victim (name withheld) was said to be critical that she had to be put on blood transfusion at Zunheboto District Civil Hospital.
A lone doctor in Satakha, accompanied by Satakha police was informed to have shifted her in urgency to the district hospital as she continued to lose blood profusely. She was reportedly still losing blood and medical personnel were attempting to stabilizer her when this report was being filed.
Details from the Zunheboto Police and Sumi civil society leaders identified the accused to be one Kakiho Zhimomi (45) of Kivikhu village and informed to be the vice-chairperson of the town’s ad-hoc council. He is also said to be a youth president of a political unit in the town.
Zunheboto Superintendent of Police Bendang Lemtur informed tonight that the accused surrendered before Satakha police after committing the crime and was taken into police custody. Confirming reports of the accused being the vice-chairman of the town’s civic body, the police chief said a criminal case has been registered against him. It was informed that rape has been confirmed after medical examination and tests conducted on the victim by doctors at Zunheboto civil hospital.
According to Satakha’s Sumi Totimi Hoho leaders, the victim was about to leave for her tuitions at about 3:00 PM when the accused crowded her inside her room and committed the crime. No one was at home during that time, an STH leader informed over phone. Later, it was informed, some children playing outside saw her bleeding profusely and alerted some neighbors who promptly rushed her for medical help. Her condition could not be handled by the lone doctor at Satakha’s hospital so she had to be rushed in emergency to Zunheboto, an STH leader said.
As for the accused, he is said to have surrendered to the police soon after committing the crime. According to a woman activist, Zhimomi also attempted to take his own life by ‘shooting’ himself but was prevented by others from doing so. Also, sources said the situation turned tense in the town as the news of the crime spread. The public was appealed to, by civil society leaders not to take the law in own hands but to let competent authorities take action. In connection with the crime, the Sumi Totimi Hoho informed that the organization and Sumi Mothers’ Association of the town has called for a protest rally on June 6, Saturday, from 7:00AM.
A further course of action will be decided soon, an STH chief informed. The latest crime took place even as the Sumi society is still reeling from the rape case of another minor, committed on April 11 by a number of youths.
Sumi civil society flays Satakha rape
The Sumi Hoho today decried the crime and said such a heinous acts against an innocent and defenseless child has no place in the civilized world. Reading out the text of the Sumi Hoho’s condemnation against the crime, general secretary of the apex Sumi body, Kitoho Rotokha said “the Sumi Hoho is shocked to have learned of yet another barbaric incident where a minor …was raped by one Kakiho Zhimomi of Kivikhu village vice-chairman of ad-hoc town council Satakha.” The Sumi Hoho has urged the administration and law-enforcing agencies not to leave any stone unturned to book the culprit and deliver justice to the aggrieved. The hoho also urged all right-thinking citizens to step forward to make concerted efforts to stop the menace, keeping in mind the stigma and trauma the victim will now undergo throughout her entire life.
In a separate statement, the president of the Sumi Totimi Hoho Vikali S Achumi said the ‘shameless and inhuman act which cannot be tolerated’. Expressing vehement condemnation, the STH expressed revulsion that the act was committed by none other than a public leader. “Being a public leader doing such shameless act, it shows that our people are ignorant, without fearing they do such kind of things. We should voice out for the right of the women and for the girl child. Unless and until we voice out the culprit will do the same the crime again and again without fearing,” the STH reminded. The hoho demands justice and “we want all the right things to be done.”
