Army jawans arrested for rape

Itanagar, May 20 (UNI) Two jawans of 2nd Raj Rifles deployed at Kharsang under Arunachal's Changlang district have been arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl at Kaikepathar village.

According to sources here today, police arrested the two on thursday night after the villagers protested against the unsavoury incident.

Taking serious note of the incident, the army authorities have reportedly initiated findings for prompt and exemplary disciplinary proceedings, sources informed.

The incident took place on May 18 evening, when an army patrol had gone to the village. Ironically, the Junior Officer-in-Commanding, in charge of the party was addressing the youth of the village for a forthcoming Army recruitment rally, urging them to join the noble profession.

According to sources, the accused duo, namely Lance Naik Pradip Kumar and Rifleman Kishan Singh went to the house of a village elder and in the absence of family members, raped the girl, while their accomplice stood guard outside the house.

About 200 villagers marched to the local army camp to set it on afire and the police had to seek the help of CRPF and the IRBN to control the volatile crowd.

An army Brigadier from Lekhapani in Assam's Tinsukia district had also arrived at Kharsang on the same night to personally monitor the case and in view of the public sentiment, the two accused were turned over to local police at Kharsang, sources informed.

Meanwhile, the Changlang district unit of Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society (APWWS), in a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, sought his intervention for an impartial investigation and exemplary punishment by civil court.

The APWWS said, ''The army deployed for providing security and safeguarding lives and property of the civilians at Kharsang have gone on rampage while violating human rights, particularly of women and children. The incident speaks volumes of the jawans, who were caught by the victim's mother and handed over to the police,''.

''Few senior officers of the army have been camping at Kharsang to get the jawans released, which should be prevented'', it pleaded.

UNI UPB PK HT1315