Woman MLA and her second husband beaten up by mob in Assam

Mangalore Today / NDTV

Guwahati, July 30: The police in Assam have said that action will be taken against those who brutally attacked 33-year-old woman MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband at a hotel on Saturday.

There was a mob of 100 people who attacked the couple while they were having dinner.

Congress leader Rumi Nath, who represents Borkhola assembly constituency, married Jaki Jakir, a Muslim, last month and converted to Islam. She had allegedly not divorced her first husband.

 

"I got attacked by some boys who were drunk. They even tried to rape me and take my clothes off, so it’s an attempt to murder and rape. Since I got married it has been a political issue; its 100 per cent a political conspiracy," said Mrs Nath.

She was rushed to the hospital but has been brought to her Guwahati residence where she is recovering.

"They went to a hotel and tried to take shelter when a crowd of people surrounded them and manhandled, and also physically assaulted them. We have registered a case. Some elements are trying to give a communal colour to this incident," said Jayanta Choudhury, DGP, Assam.

Superintendent of Police Pradip Pujari said that five people, suspected to have been involved in the attack, have been arrested.

Mrs Nath was visiting her constituency in South Assam for the first time since her remarriage and conversion to Islam. Some reports say they were attacked because they had together visited a temple during the day.

Rumi Nath was first elected to the Assembly in 2006 on a BJP ticket from Borkhola constituency. She later defected to the Congress and won the seat a second time in the 2011 elections.

Her first husband Rakesh Singh, with whom she has a two-year-old daughter, had filed an FIR last month saying his wife was missing. But Mrs Nath herself came out in the open saying she remarried her Facebook friend and converted of her own free will.

"It is a complex situation because of personal dynamics but our interest is to maintain order and take action. She is a sitting MLA and no one has any business to manhandle the woman whether they agree to what she has done or not," said Mr Choudhury.

Her own party has condemned the incident. "There are legal means if they have any grievance. But this is reprehensible and we condemn this incident," said Haren Das, general secretary, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

The National Commission of Women (NCW) too has promised to look into the case.

"It was a matter of marriage affair; it’s an unfortunate incident and the government should have tightened the security. We would take suo moto cognizance," said Mamata Sharma, Chairperson, NCW.

Though the police say that action is being taken against the guilty, it seems the administration is going slow on the case.