Chirang sexual assault case: Residents of Sidli give police another 24 hr to arrest accused

Bongaigaon, Aug 26: Protests erupted in Sidli, Chirang district, on Monday after a 24-hour deadline given to the police to apprehend Jahiruddin Dewan, the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault case involving two minor girls, expired without action.

The Koch-Rajbongshi community took to the streets in a show of outrage against the law enforcement's failure to capture Dewan, a president of a Village Defence Party (VDP).

The demonstrators, including a significant number of women, held placard and banners demanding urgent and decisive action from the authorities.

The situation escalated as the protesters, dissatisfied with the police’s response, issued a new 24-hour ultimatum for Dewan’s arrest.

“The police are not taking any meaningful action regarding this grave issue. We are giving a 24-hour deadline for the arrest of the accused. If the authorities fail to act, we will call for a bandh until the perpetrator is captured,” Bikramjit Roy, a member of the Kamtapur Autonomous Council (KAC), told the press.

The unrest follows an incident where two minor girls from the Koch-Rajbongshi community were allegedly sexually assaulted by Dewan.

According to reports, Dewan had lured the girls under the guise of offering employment outside the state. A human trafficking angle was also discovered when the accused took the minors to an associate’s residence. Local intervention led to the girls being rescued and returned to their families.

A formal complaint was lodged at the local police station on August 23, with an initial 24-hour deadline set for action. However, Dewan has remained elusive, prompting an ongoing and intensified manhunt by the police.

The situation remains tense as the community awaits a resolution and further developments in the search for Dewan.