Dimapur, June 19 (MExN): The Western Chakhesang Hoho (WCH) has demanded urgent and stringent legal action against two men accused of molesting and assaulting a woman in a moving auto-rickshaw on June 15.
The alleged vicitm was 21 years of age. One of the two accused was a juvenile, while the autorickshaw driver was identified as Nur Ali.
In a representation submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, the WCH expressed concern over what it described as a “horrific” incident, and one that reflect a disturbing rise in crimes against women. It recalled an earlier case reported in February this year, involving the molestation of a Chakhesang female nursing student at the District Hospital Dimapur, and lamented that lack of exemplary action at the time may have emboldened repeat offenses.
“Had prompt stringent exemplary action been taken at that time, it could have served as a strong deterrent to this kind of recurrence of violence against our women without any regard for the Law,” the statement said.
The WCH urged the administration to prosecute the accused under the fullest extent of the law, conduct an expeditious investigation, and implement enhanced security measures, including intensified patrolling in vulnerable areas.
It urged the district administration to uphold the safety of women as an “inviolable priority” and ensure that justice is served without delay.
DDADU says…
Meanwhile, the Dimapur District Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union (DDADU) informed that it will ensure the accused autorickshaw driver is stripped of membership if he is found to be complicit as alleged. DDADU President, Tito Yepthomi told the media on June 19 that the union was concerned with the alleged incident, while conveying his deepest regret to the victim.
He admitted that the accused driver was a DDADU member. “If he is found to be complicit, we will ensure he is stripped of membership and does not ply in Dimapur,” said Yepthomi. He also requested against generalising all autorickshw drivers on account of the June 15 incident.
Recounting the accused driver’s version of the incident, Yepthomi said that the driver claimed he had never known the main accused, a 17-year old youth. On that day, the youth had purportedly hired the autorickshaw from Railgate, Dimapur, on June 15, to go to 4th Mile. On the way, the autorickshaw was asked to stop at the airport junction by the juvenile passenger, where he got down and met one woman.
As told by the driver, the juvenile and the woman spoke for sometime and they both got onto the autorickshaw. At 4th Mile, the youth requested the driver to take him till Showuba. As they were proceeding as requested, the girl reportedly asked the driver to stop somewhere before reaching Showuba, only to jump out before the vehicle could stop.
People in the vicinity seeing a woman jump out of a moving vehicle were alerted. They reportedly got hold of both the driver and the juvenile passenger and handed them over to the police outpost in Showuba. After receiving first aid, the woman headed to her home in Phek district the same day. She did not file any formal police complaint. It was her uncle, who filed the police complaint later in the day.
While the driver claimed he had never known the accused juvenile, he was arrested alongwith the latter. The driver was said to be in judicial custody, and the juvenile in the custody of the Juvenile Justice Board.
As per independent sources, the juvenile allegedly tried to rob and molest the woman, as a result of which she asked the driver to stop. But before the autorickshaw could slow down to a halt, the driver, in his statement, said that the girl jumped off. She sustained minor injuries in the process and was taken to the CIHSR by people, in the surrounding area, who witnessed it.
She had landed at the Dimapur airport around afternoon that day, and reportedly hailed the autorickshaw at the airport junction. This version was still to be corroborated by the police.
