Foursome arrested for lynching bid of a minor girl in Tripura

Agartala: Police arrested four persons including a woman and a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawan on Saturday in connection with a lynching bid of a 17-year-old tribal girl in Teliamura under Khowai district on November 2 last.

The accused people led by TSR jawan Biswajit Debbarma brutally assaulted the girl for her alleged relationship with a married man. Police arrested the accused after seeing them in a video being circulated on social media and the search is continuing to arrest others, said Officer-in-Charge, Teliamura police station, Subrata Chakraborty.

According to report, a reconciliation meeting was convened in Changlaong village on Wednesday to solve the ‘dispute’ as the minor girl had allegedly fallen in love with a married man with two children. Suddenly a group of villagers turned violent and started assaulting the girl.

In the video clip, the angry villagers were seen severely beating her with sticks and kicking the girl out of the meeting, and leaving her in the courtyard in a subconscious state. The victim alleged the meeting was held at the minor's house in the presence of the elected village chief of Hawaiibari panchayat.

During the meeting, TSR jawan of the area dragged the minor girl out of the house and tried to lynch the minor raining blows. She lived with her father who is physically challenged and she was tortured in front of him. Despite repeated appeals, none came to rescue her, alleging the victim’s father to the police.

The girl claimed some villagers put pressure on her not to lodge a complaint with the police and assured her that the matter will be sorted out through another village-level meeting. However, police brought the victim and her father to Teliamura police station considering the threat perception and further attack, police added.(UNI)