Minor suspected of theft brutally tortured
From a Correspondent
TANGLA, June 1: In a hair-raising incident and sheer act of arrogance and torture, a minor boy of 15-years who was accused of theft, was allegedly given a barbaric punishment at Harisinga daily market area of Udalguri district on May 30.
According to sources, the minor boy, who is a Class IX student of Harisinga HS school and a resident of Towmari village and who aspired to join the defense services, was out on the streets for physical exercise at about 2.30 am. A group of miscreants allegedly caught hold of him, accusing him of theft in a grocery store and tortured him till dawn. The minor was allegedly thrashed, blind-folded and beaten with sticks and rods and inflicted multiple blade injuries on shoulder, and his limbs were tied to a post. The miscreants did not stop there, they sprinkled salt on his wounds and made him consume chilly powder.
For almost two hours the minor endured unbearable torture and pain. At about 5.30 am the minor was handed over to Harisinga Police Station. Visualizing the critical condition of the youth, police admitted him to Udalguri Civil Hospital. After he was treated for a day, on May 31 he was referred to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition. An FIR (41/16) was lodged by the guardians of the victim, which mentions the me of the miscreants as Ratan Das (shop-owner), Babul Das, Tubha Das, Mukud Das and rayan Nera.
The Harisinga police, under IO Umesh Bordoloi, have registered the case under IPC 342/325/326 and R/W 23 Juvenile Justice Act/2000. Meanwhile, local villagers and ABSU have suspected the role of police as even after more than 48 hours of the FIR being lodged, the miscreants have not been arrested. The Harsinga local unit of the ABSU had also called a 12-hour Harisinga bandh on Wednesday to demand arrest of the culprits.
Meanwhile, Umesh Bordoloi, who is investigating the case, said, “The minor was caught by a group of people under suspicion of theft in a store. He was tortured by the people and later handed over to police and he is currently undergoing treatment at Tezpur Medical College and Hospital. We are looking for the persons involved and will arrest them soon.”
The Harisinga ABSU in a written statement condemned the barbaric incident. The Harsinga ABSU and Udalguri ABSU have demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
