Rally demand punishment against rapists

TURA, OCT 4: A conglomeration of civil society organisations and public of Garo hills on Tuesday took out a rally demanding exemplary punishment for the rape accused teachers – Yogesh Joshi and Deepjyoti Das.

The rally also sought punishment for CRPF commandant R K Behara, who had allegedly made attempt to whisk away the teachers, when angry students had closed the school gate.

The commandant has denied the allegations leveled against him.

Joshi and Das have been arrested and are presently in police custody. They have been booked under POSCO act.

South Tura MLA John Leslee K. Sangma took part in the rally and condemned the cruel incident. He demanded that the accused teacher and the CRPF commandant be given exemplary punishment.

Several speakers remarked that the clarification given by Behara as not acceptable. An FIR has been filed by a group of parents at Tura police station that Behara had forced children to massage his head.

Behara’s daughter is also a student of the same school.

“We will continue to protest against the rapist teachers, unless and until justice is served”, said Sengbath Marak, general secretary of A’chik Youth Welfare Organisation (AYWO).

On September 3, the victims were drugged and raped at Joshi’s official quarter. Joshi invited the two minor girls for his birthday celebration along with few other male classmates.

Joshi and Das later continued to blackmail, molest and abuse the two girls.

The members of civil society urged the Tura Bar Association not to take up their case for bail.  “We will strongly oppose any move to bail out the accused teachers”, said Pritam Marak, president of Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP).

The rally demanded that Child Protection Cell is activated in all schools of Garo hills. “Our rally is not intended to hurt sentiments of teachers of Garo hills but we are showing our anger against the accused rapist teachers and CRPF commandant”, said Tengsak Momin, president of Garo Students Union.

The rallyists demanded that the accused teachers should be given life imprisonment.

Joshi, who was the acting principal of the school has been suspended, while Das who was on contractual basis has been terminated.

Joshi and Das, who are in police custody, will be produced in court tomorrow. Police will be seeking for additional police custody to enquire the matter.-From Our Correspondent