Women who were detained by police during the raid on Rimpu Bagan, a farmhouse owned by Tura MDC Bernard Marak, in July last year have accused police of grave harassment and intimidation, including a warning not to vote for the BJP member at the upcoming state Assembly election on February 27.
The raid led to the arrest of Marak on various charges as the police claimed that the property was being used as a brothel. Arms were also found on another property of the MDC’s. The BJP has steadfastly stood by its state vice-president and accused the police of acting on the orders of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma against Marak, who is likely to be chosen as the saffron party’s candidate for the South Tura seat.
Marak had asserted that the farmhouse was used as a hangout for youths of Tura, the income from which was used to provide underprivileged children with free accommodation.
Addressing a press conference today while still pleading for their anonymity to be maintained, the women said that they are victims of cruelty carried out by the West Garo Hills police, including the Investigation Officer and Superintendent of Police.
Thirty-five women filed a complaint with the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission saying that they were also questioned by the SP for making complaints against the force and some are now too frightened to file a complaint.
The women also claimed that the IO, Mamta Hajong, also told them not to vote for Marak. An MHRC hearing was supposed to have taken place last week but has been postponed until March, after the election.
“We are the victims of illegal arrest at Rimpu’s farm,” one of the victims said at a press conference today.
One of the women said that had gone to the farmhouse on July 22 to hang out in the evening. The police raid then began and they were detained, though at first assured that they would soon be released.
It was at around 2am the following day that the women were taken to Tura Civil Hospital, ostensibly for a medical examination that never took place. Their male friends were taken to the police station. Back and forth the women were taken between the hospital and police station, without food or water.
At 7pm that evening, they claimed, a senior police official abused them and their parents and guardians (who had been summoned to the station). The women’s personal possessions were seized by police, the food they were provided (after a lengthy delay) was thrown away by the police before it could be eaten and they were on the receiving end of further verbal abuse.
The women were then made to sign papers without being able to read them and were later told that they were under arrest for immoral human trafficking.
The alleged torment continued into the next day when those arrested were produced before a magistrate.
Although they were able to secure bail, the harassment continued, they claimed, as they were meant (under the bail conditions) to report to the police station every Monday for four months, during which they had to suffer indignities such as long waits, further verbal abuse and intimidation and even missing personal items they had to deposit before entering the station.
