A female tourist from Nepal was allegedly harassed and assaulted by a group of seven persons in Assam. In a video shared on social media platform X, the woman said she was harassed by the mob, purportedly due to her attire resembling that of a male.
Narrating her ordeal, the woman said in the video, “Just for being a girl with short hair and for taking a stroll in the neighbourhood at night, I was harassed both verbally and physically by some people in Mariani...”
The woman alleged that the mob dragged her out of her cab while she was in Mariani. She added that a woman who was part of the group advised the others to tear her shirt to see if she was a female.
"They snatched my shirt where half of my chest was visible. They even assaulted me physically… she said. One of the guys was a reporter, she claimed.
{{/usCountry}}"They snatched my shirt where half of my chest was visible. They even assaulted me physically… she said. One of the guys was a reporter, she claimed.
{{/usCountry}}The female tourist claimed she went to the police to file a complaint about the issue. She alleged that instead of taking her seriously, the police ridiculed her and advised her to seek legal recourse through the court system.
"…The whole police station was mocking my dress and the accused had good connections with the police and none were taking our side. The accused were given all the hospitality needed whereas the victim had to wait for the accused for three hours and yet no justice was given. I was harassed to such an extent that I was being forced to show that I am a female in front of everyone to prove to them that I’m a girl," the woman said.
She has also tagged Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and five-time MLA, Rupjyoti Kurmi in her post.
Reacting to the incident, the Assam Police said that a case had been registered in connection with it. The Assam Police wrote on its official handle, “Update regarding allegations of an assault on an individual from Nepal. A case has been registered in this regard.SDPO Titabor is in touch with the complainant and is closely supervising further action as per the law.”
The incident comes just days after seven people, including three women, were arrested in Assam for thrashing a 38-year-old Nepalese woman suspicion of child-lifting. According to police, the woman, identified as Kamala Dahal, who came from Nepal to meet her younger sister in Assam's Haflong, was attacked after she gave chocolates to a child whom she met on the streets of Lower Haflong.