5 more arrested in molestation case, SSP shunted out
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Guwahati's top police officer was on Monday shunted out following public outrage over the molestation of a teenaged girl outside a pub here and his controversial comments over the incident, in which five more arrests were made.
City SSP Apurba Jiban Baruah, who had termed the class XI student's ordeal as a stray incident that was hyped by the national media, has been transferred to Dibrugarh and replaced by SP of that city Arabinda Kalita, official sources said.
The transfer followed the demand by the National Commission for Women for the removal of Baruah and public outrage over the incident.
The NCW itself courted controversy with Congress leader Alka Lamba removed from a fact finding team of the panel that went to Guwahati for making public the victim's identity.
"... It was wrong on her part to publicise the name of the victim. That is the reason she was removed," NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma said in Delhi.
Meanwhile, five more accused in the case were arrested, taking the number of those apprehended in the case to 12. The arrested five are Nabajyoti Baruah from Tamalpur area of Baksa district, Debabrata Das from Goreswar in Baksa district, Jitumoni Deka from Hatigaon area of the city, Rupkanta Kalita from Nalbari and Deepak Dey from Shillong, police sources said on Monday night.
The prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita is most probably hiding in Odisha as his mobile phone calls have been traced to Bhubaneswar, the sources said.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi met the girl and assured the government will provide all protection and help for her rehabilitation. He also announced that the case will be handed over to CID.
Gogoi also slammed the local news channel that aired the footage of the molestation saying its role was 'unethical'. The issue rocked the state assembly as well with Opposition AIUDF, AGP and BJP staging walkouts after the Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion to discuss the issue.
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