Assam MP seeks capital punishment for ‘gang-rape’ accused in Tamil Nadu

GUWAHATI

Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Gaurav Gogoi has sought capital punishment for the five accused in the alleged gang rape of a woman from Assam in Tamil Nadu.

According to reports, a 22-year-old woman from Assam was allegedly gang-raped by five persons at Palladam near Tirupur district of Tamil Nadu on September 28.

Gogoi, who is also the deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru K Palaniswami to instruct the concerned authority for capital punishment of the accused.

He also urged the Chief Minister to take measures for the medical treatment and financial aid to the victim at the earliest.

“As per the media report, the victim, a temporary resident of Coimbatore, was raped after being taken to an isolated spot. Police have arrested five accused in the incident. Search for one is still on.

In this hour of grief, we must stand in solidarity with the victim. We should remain committed to protecting our sisters and safeguarding their respect and dignity. In the meantime, we must send a powerful message to the rapists, and keep the rule of law in their mind,” the Assam MP wrote in the letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Gogoi further stated that people from the Northeast, who go to the metropolitan cities for higher studies and employment opportunities, have to face violence and stigmatisation.

“They are often targeted not only radical but also sexually. Nothing has changed for the Northeast people at all; many recent incidents show the same,” Gogoi wrote in the letter.

He has also asked the local representative of Assam government in Chennai to help the woman, who reportedly hails from Darrang district in central Assam.