Two rape accused paraded ked in State

Itagar, March 28: An irate mob paraded ked two men at Yingkiong in Upper Siang district of Aruchal Pradesh after they allegedly raped a student of Class X, weeks after the state Assembly ected a legislation to provide death pelty to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

The 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by four men, including her boyfriend, near the under construction Gandhi Bridge on March 25 evening, DIG (Central Range) John Neihalaia informed.

Neihalaia said that the incident occurred at around 8.30 pm on March 25 at a place, around six kms away from Yingkiong town and police received information only the next day. 

The accused are from Pangkang village.

The two accused persons, who were caught, were thrashed and paraded ked by an irate mob, including women, in the Yingkiong market area on March 26 before being handed over to the police. The two other accused are absconding. The DIG added that a search has been launched to b the other two accused. A police team has also been dispatched to Jengging in search of the duo, he said.

Terming the incident as ‘unfortute’, Home Minister Kumar Waii sought support of one and all to bring the guilty to book and further exhorted the minors to avoid going with unknown persons or to unknown locations and travelling in darkness. “Such incidents are unexpected but could be tackled with coordited efforts,” he said and advocated that the civil society should rise to such occasions to ensure security to girls.

Meanwhile, the Aruchal Pradesh State Commission for Women vehemently condemned the rape of the girl. The Commission urged the Upper Siang SP to b the absconding culprits under the POCSO Act, 2012 and award exemplary punishment to them. The APSCW also requested the family members of the culprits and society to cooperate with the police to deliver justice to the victim and her family.

This is the second rape incident in the town this year after a six-year-old girl student from St Thomas School was allegedly raped on February 22 last by her own teacher.

Similar cases of mob outrage and vigilante justice have surfaced in the state over the past few months prompting the state government to ect a legislation by amending the Indian Pel Code, 1860, the Code of Crimil Procedure 1973, the Indian Evidence Act 1872 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 in its application in the state on March 16 this year which would award death pelty to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

Earlier this month, a man accused of raping a 12-year-old was paraded ked around Daporijo town in Upper Subansiri district before he was handed over to the police.

A mob of around 800 people stormed into the Tezu police station in Lohit district on February 19 last and dragged out a man and his accomplice accused of raping and murder of a five-year-old girl and lynched them in the market area.