Assam: Tea community woman allegedly raped while returning from hospital after testing negative

GUWAHATI: A woman from the tea garden community while reportedly raped while returning home from a hospital after testing COVID-19 negative in Borhaat Nagamaati area of Sonari constituency in Charaideo district. The incident took place at Dhudarali near Borhaat tea garden in Charaideo district on Saturday evening at around 7 pm.

The incident occured on May 27, but was only reported to the police yesterday.

The hospital authorities of the Sapakheti model hospital have now come under fire for not providing an ambulance to drop the woman and her daughter who were COVID-19 patients and were released after they turned negative.

Meanwhile, the Assam unit of the Indian National Congress (INC) has turned down heavily on the local administration for leaving the two to fend for themselves.

The party has said that the government of Assam should immediately take action and apprehended the culprits as the rapists have not yet been caught "and are running scot free."

"The mother- daughter were left to fend for themselves when lockdown was in place. Isn't it the responsibility of the hospital and local authorities to see to it that the woman and her daughter reached their home safely?," queried Congress spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma.

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She further pointed out that a few days back BJP MLA of Khumtai Mrinal Saikia had also tweeted that Golaghat Civil Hospital refused to take two COVID-19 patients to the hospital and he had to arrange an ambulance himself. "So this is the actual ground situation of health infrastructure and Covid management in Assam," Sharma added.

She also said that this eposide "exposes the apathy of the BJP Government towards women from tea garden and those belonging to backward communities.

"The Honourable CM had said immediately upon taking office that safety of women in Assam would be his top priority. Is this his example of safety of women?," she asked, before adding, "If Government remains silent and does not take strong concrete steps the safety of our women and girls are at great risk. Is this why the women of Assam voted for the BJP? A Government that cannot ensure safety of its women and children has no basic right to remain in power."

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