As Nagaland minor alleges rape, mob strips suspect, beats and parades him

Mangalore Today News Network

Guwahati, May 31, 2018 : In a shocking incident, a 12-year-old tribal girl in Nagaland was allegedly raped at least three times on different occasions, police said. The suspect, a non-tribal, who was stripped, paraded and beaten up by a mob, was rescued by the police. The incident happened in a remote village of Mon district, bordering Myanmar.

 

The sexual assault came to light today after the girl, a primary school student, complained of illness to her elder sister after which she was taken to hospital. After a check-up, doctors said she had been raped.

The minor was initially hesitant to name the accused but after much persuasion by her family she pointed fingers at the salesman of a local watch store, police sources said.

Soon a mob gathered and dragged the salesman out of the shop, beat him up and paraded him naked in the village, with a board hung on his neck that read "I am a rapist". The police arrived at the spot and took the man into custody, sources said.

A case of rape has been registered under the Prevention Of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the accused has been arrested. Investigations are on, the police said.

It’s not exactly known when the girl was sexually assaulted, police sources said, adding that the minor was too traumatised to reveal the details. Medical tests have been conducted on the minor and the accused, and the reports are awaited.

Wary of a backlash similar to the one in 2015 when a non-tribal accused of raping a Naga woman was killed by a mob in Dimapur, the police are treading cautiously. A crowd had broken into a jail, dragged out the accused, killed him and hung his body at a roundabout in the town.