Assam: Two jail officials arrested in separate cases of sexual assault

In the first case, Mrinmoy Dawka, the superintendent of Tezpur Central jail in Sonitpur district, was arrested on Thursday following complaints of sexual assault by two women.

Updated on: Jul 17, 2020, 15:46:26 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Assam Police has arrested two jail officials for their alleged involvement in two separate cases of sexual assaults.

The accused was produced in court on Thursday and was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. (HT Photo)

In the first case, Mrinmoy Dawka, the superintendent of Tezpur Central jail in Sonitpur district, was arrested on Thursday following complaints of sexual assault by two women.

“There were two complaints against the accused. He had allegedly sexually assaulted the wife of an inmate on the promise of releasing her husband. The second case is of him outraging the modesty of the wife of a jail warden,” said Mugdhajyoti Dev Mahanta, superintendent of police (SP), Sonitpur.

“The first incident had occurred a month ago and came to light, when the woman disclosed the matter to her husband, who is lodged in the jail. The second incident was more recent,” he added.

Based on both the complaints, the police arrested Dawka on charges of criminal breach of trust, assault or criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman and intercourse by luring inducements under Sections 354 (A), 409 and 376 (C) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Dawka was produced before a court on Thursday and has been sent to judicial custody for five days. Further investigations into both the complaints are on.

In the second case, a jailer of the district jail in Dhemaji was arrested on Thursday on charges of sodomising a male inmate with the promise of securing an early release of the latter.

“The jailer Dulal Das was arrested following a complaint filed by the mother of an inmate who alleged that her son was sodomised thrice in 2019 by the accused,” said Dhananjay P Ghanawat, SP, Dhemaji.

The 20-year-old victim, who’s in jail in connection with a child sexual assault case, was reportedly in trauma due to the assaults and allegedly attempted suicide once.

“Because of his mental trauma, the victim is undergoing treatment at the Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh. We have lodged a case under Section 377 of the IPC for unnatural sex. The magisterial inquiry into the incident has also been ordered,” said Ghanawat.

The accused was produced in court on Thursday and was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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