Burha inquiry; Police at fault but not stripped, tortured

The Burha Police station excess inquiry had found that police wrongly arrested women at midnight, beaten up in the police station but they were not stripped and made to record a statement at Gunpoint or brutally tortured.

According to the 250-page enquiry report prepared by DIG (CWR) Brajenjit Singh, the report of miscarriage due to the police assault was concocted and false.

Thereport did find the police team at fault for apprehending the accused womenbetween midnight and sunrise, which is not permissible.

Thereport also found that the accused were beaten up by the police inside thepolice outpost but did not qualify that as 'extreme torture'.

"Therewere multiple allegations made by the women against the Darrang Police and mostof them were not based on facts. But yes, the women were picked up fromGuwahati in connection with the abduction case and brought to the policeoutpost before sunrise, which is not permissible," sources at the Assam Policeheadquarters divulged quoting the report that was submitted on Wednesday.

Theincident dates back to last month when three sisters of a family alleged thatafter being taken to the police station, they were stripped and tortured by thepolice. The trio went on to file a case with the Darrang police on September 10against the alleged police brutality.

Theinspector-in-charge of the Burha police outpost, Mahendra Sarma, who led thepolice team along with a lady constable Binita Boro were placed undersuspension on September 17 and a criminal case registered against them.

The women were picked up for harbouring their brother Ruful Ali who had allegedly abducted a girl, although a section of people claimed that it was a case of elopement and not abduction. The FIR was lodged by the elder brother of the girl.

Subsequently, unable to locate Ruful Ali, a police team ledby the inspector-in-charge of the Burha police outpost visited Guwahati andpicked up Minowara Begum, Sanuwera Begum and Rumele Begum – the three sistersof Ruful – from different locations of the city.

Sourcesat the Assam Police headquarters told this reporter that medical reports issuedby a team of doctors have also been annexed with the enquiry report submitted for theperusal of Director General of Assam Police.