Fifty years old raped in East Jainitia hills

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, DEC 4: A 50-year-old woman was recently raped inside a car after the accused offered to drop her home as she was returning  from work at around 7 pm on December 1 in a village in East Jaintia hills district. Even after the victim filed an FIR, albeit bit late, she was not send for medical examination by the police.

It is alleged that the accused Joshua Rymbai offered to drop her home when he spotted her waiting for a Sumo. As the victim knew the accuse without hestation she agreed to be dropped in his car to Umkiang village.

The woman worked in Sonapur and returns home every evening by a passenger Sumo, but on that fateful day the passenger vehicle was delayed.

To the victim’s horror when the car reached near a Mandir, just ahead of at Sonapur bridge,  Rymbai raped her and even threatened to rape her children if she dared report about the incident to anybody.

Out of fear, the woman did not go to the police immediately but later decided to file an FIR against the accused on December 3 with the Umkiang Police.

Condemning the incident, Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) questioned the delay of the police to act on the complaint and take action against the culprit.

“They (police) made no attempt to arrest the culprits and they did not take her for medical examination as is required as per law,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said while alleging that the police instead told the victim that they would only send her for medical next day  on the excuse that there was no proper place for examination nearby.

Alleging that no copy of the FIR was also given to the victim, Kharshiing said this unethical practices takes place in most of the police station/ beat house or out posts in the state the rape victims never gets a copy of the FIR they filed with the police.

She said in rare cases few policemen guides the complainants and help them. “This act of rape against a woman is strongly condemned along with the act of the police of Umkiang police patrolling post,” she said.

CSWO demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrator and the driver and anyone interfering with the case.

“We also demand an inquiry why the police did not sent the woman for medical examination immediately when she came to file the complaint and whether the police looking after crimes in East Jaintia hills were informed,” Kharshiing said.

The CSWO demanded that the government provides proper PHCs with doctors  to in rural areas so that such cases are not left unattended.