The nation is raging over the rape of 8-year-old Asifa, demanding justice for the minor who died a brutal death. Amid the chaos and shouts for justice, there is another similar case that has come to light in Assam.
The rape of minors has been politicised so much that there seems to be no possibility of getting justice for any of them. However, a village in Assam has come up with a way to punish accused.
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In Nagaon district in Assam, an 11-year-old girl was raped and then burnt alive, an entire village came together to help the police catch the accused. A 21-year-old and two minor boys from the same village have already been arrested, reported NDTV.
At Lalung Gaon, 150 kilometres from state capital Guwahati, the girl who was all alone at home was raped on March 23. “We were working in the field when villagers started calling us. We came home and saw our daughter was almost completely burnt,” the girl’s mother said.
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The Class 5 student who sustained 90 per cent burn injuries died in hospital but not before naming the alleged rapist Zakir Hussain and two minors who were responsible. After the death of girl, the villagers handed over the two minors to the police. They ransacked Zakir’s house but he had fled by then. A day later, villagers informed the police that the accused was hiding in another village, about 40 kilometres away. Zakir was arrested within 72 hours of the girl’s death.
Zakir’s land owning family is the richest and influential in the Muslim-dominated village. The villager were angry and alleged that the family had got away with earlier instances of assault too. The villagers said that for them, religion did not matter, justice did. They also believe that a criminal has no religion and he has to be punished.