SHILLONG, SEPT 11: West Garo hills police arrested thirteen people including a prominent student leader for allegedly manhandling government employees including some ladies during its agitation for a separate Garoland on Tuesday.
The arrest immediately sparked demand for the release of the arrested people and sixty people gheraoed the West Garo hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi’s office on Wednesday and threatened that if they were not released within an hour then an indefinite Garo hills bandh will be called from Thursday.
But Bakshi said the thirteen people have been arrested for the attack on DC office staff including its women employees and a woman from Mumbai was also molested.
Following the attack on government employees and women, Bakshi informed that the district administration has taken a decision not to give permissions for any demonstrations , sit-ins , dharnas or NCM in future to the organizers who perpetrated such heinous attacks on women. He warned that for all the violence the law will catch up with the culprits.
In a strongly worded press statement issued on Wednesday Bakshi said it is very disheartening to observe that now these “vandals” and “criminals” have decided that they shall attack and intimidate women and outrage their modesty, assault and threaten innocent persons for their objective.
Bakshi said,“The cowardly act exposes the criminal intentions of the perpetrators to humiliate and torture citizens and women , government officials and staff on duty which cannot be tolerated.”
Bakshi who is also the chairman of the District Level Committee for prevention of atrocities against women said he has taken suo moto notice of the assault on women employees, who he said broke down and cried, and criminal intimidation. I
Bakshi informed that senior citizens and religious leaders called him strongly condemned the act of assault and manhandling even of women. He also said in the statement, “The attack was also communal in nature which is all the more worrying and shameful .
Bakshi questioned, “Is this how a movement is run by assaulting women and forcing school children to participate in dangerous agitation.” He will soon be having a meeting with his staff when he reaches Tura to decide the future course of action .
Baksi also informed that the district administration will inform the State Women’s Commission and National Women’s Commission about the incident. – By Our Reporter
