Assam police officer strips 3 sisters; pregnant woman loses baby in torture

A pregnant Muslim woman was allegedly stripped and tortured along with her two sisters in Assam. The incident was reported from inside a police station in Darrang district of the state, where the woman lost her baby after she was kicked in her belly by a police officer. 

The incident dates back to September 8 and came to light only on Tuesday.

In connection with a kidnapping case, Darrang district police picked up three sisters - Minuwara Begum, Sanuwara and Rumela from Sixmile area in Guwahati. He later took them to Burha police outpost.

In a complaint filed by Minuwara, it was alleged the three of them were picked up from their homes by a police team led by the officer-in-charge of Burha police outpost, Mahendra Sarma, on September 8 night.

They were later taken to the Burha police outpost where the Mahendra Sarma and a lady constable physically tortured them the whole night. They were also stripped naked.

"We were brutally beaten up and the police officer who also touched our private parts. The police officer threatened us by showing his pistol and warned us from filing any complaint against him," the woman said in her complaint.

The woman had filed a complaint with the Darrang district Superintendent of Police on September 10, but their case was not registered.

Meanwhile, Darrang district Superintendent of Police (SP) Amrit Bhuyan said that he has already initiated a probe into the incident and asked a DSP to look into the case.

Narrating the harrowing experience, the woman said, "On September 8 night a police team of Burha police outpost entered our house but we didn't know why they came. When I asked why they were there, they asked me to not ask any questions. The police officer flashed his pistol at me and my husband said that he will shoot us. They also picked up my elder sister and younger sister."

She added, "At Burha police outpost, they stripped our clothes and beat us up. They also touched our private parts and beat us with sticks and shoes. They told us to bring our elder brother but we didn't reveal his location to them."

The woman also said that she repeatedly pleaded with the officers who ignored the appeals and went on with the torturing. "When the police officer kicked my pregnant sister, she started bleeding and her pregnancy was terminated. My elder sister was two months pregnant. We were also forced to sign our signature in a blank paper at gunpoint," said one of the sisters.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into the incident while the Assam State Commission for Women has also taken up the matter suo motu.

Amrit Bhuyan, SP of Darrang district said, "We received a complaint on September 11 that the woman was tortured when she was at the Burha police outpost. I already directed our DSP to make an inquiry into the incident. If we find that police used additional forces on the women we will register a criminal case. We will also at the medical report."

The Assam CM has directed DIG of Central Western Range, Brajenjit Sinha to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

Assam Police has suspended the accused officer-in-charge of Burha police outpost and the lady constable.

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