Opposition disrupts Tripura assembly over rape by police official

Agartala, Nov 3 : The alleged rape of a minor girl by a police official saw the Tripura assembly again plunge into bedlam Monday as opposition Congress members disrupted proceedings demanding severe punishment for the official.

Responding to the opposition demands, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told the house that the government was not averse to a probe into the incident by a senior superintendent of police or by an inspector general of police.

Kamalpur police station (Dhalai district) officer-in-charge (OC) Dilip Guha, a senior inspector of police, was arrested late Thursday night and suspended from service for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl at his official residence.

As soon as the house assembled for the second day of the ongoing week-long winter session Monday, slogan-shouting Congress legislators led by Leader of Opposition Ratan Lal Nath demanded exemplary punishment for the accused official.

"The state government has been trying to give protection to the accused police official," an agitated Nath and other Congress legislators told the house.

Chief Minister Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio, said : "In accordance with the law the state government will not allow the guilty police officer to go unpunished."

"Within a few hours after registering the case with the police station, the police arrested Guha and suspended him from service," the chief minister said.

A local court at Khowai, 90 km north of here, Friday sent Guha to 14-days' judicial custody.

Police are looking for Guha's absconding maid servant, who allegedly helped the police official to carry out the crime.

The police have initiated a probe by a senior officer.

The issue had rocked the state assembly on the opening day of the winter session Friday, with opposition Congress demanding stern action against Guha and to check the rising incidents of crime against women in the state.

Outside the assembly, the opposition parties have been continued their agitation across the northeastern state against the incident.