Woman gets cold feet in molest case OUR CORRESPONDENT
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071016/asp/northeast/story_8438102.asp The anti-army protest at Tengakhat. A file picture *Dibrugarh, Oct. 15: *The woman whose molestation charge against an unidentified soldier triggered an outpouring of anti-army sentiments last week is ready to take back her complaint if the one against her is withdrawn, too. Police today said Jyotsna Konwar, a resident of Tipomia village in Dibrugarh district, changed her mind about pursuing the case after the army countered it with a complaint against her for allegedly acting at the banned Ulfa's behest. But Jyotsna's willingness to back out has not melted the army, at least not yet. "The lady and her associates brought certain serious allegations against our unit, which were published in the media. Therefore, we are not going to leave the case. The police have registered a case and we have been informed that the investigation is progressing well. We are waiting for an early result," Col Yashpal Singh, the commanding officer of the 11 Guards Regiment, said. Apart from Jyotsna, the army named her husband Pratap Konwar, fellow villager Putuli Phukon and the headman of Tipomia village, Nareswar Gogoi, in its complaint. It accused them of "criminal conspiracy and framing baseless charges against the army". The officer-in-charge of Tengakhat police station, Mrinal Kumar Das, confirmed that Jyotsna would withdraw her case if the army did likewise. "We are trying to find a middle course," another police officer added. This is the first known instance of an Assam-based army unit initiating a parallel police probe into a complainant's motive. For the army, which had only recently declared that it was ready to deal a decisive blow to Ulfa, the upsurge triggered by Jyotsna's complaint was reminiscent of occasions when public protests were stumbling blocks in operations against the militant outfit. The police registered the molestation case against a soldier named Raju hours after a protest rally in Tengakhat on October 9. Jyotsna, a mother of two, said Raju molested her during a house-to-house search by the 11 Guards Regiment the previous night. The army immediately clarified that there was nobody by that name in the ranks of the 11 Guards Regiment. The counter complaint came two days later. In another statement today, the commander of the Tinsukia-based 181 Mountain Brigade, Brig. Binoy Poonnen, said Ulfa and its sympathisers had been inciting protests and false accusations to deflect the heat of counter-insurgency operations and create a gulf between "peace-loving people and security forces". *Army files case against 'victim'* http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7b5094772D-5569-4A14-B605-546A976C59E9%7d&CATEGORYNAME=CRME Dibrugarh, Oct 13: Accused of outraging the modesty of a woman, the Army has filed a police case against a 'victim', her husband, another woman and a village headman in Assam's Dibrugarh district charging them with unlawfully restraining government agencies<http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7b5094772D-5569-4A14-B605-546A976C59E9%7d&CATEGORYNAME=CRME> from carrying out their official duties and of criminal conspiracy. Eleven Guards Regiment company commander based at Lengrai on Thursday night filed the case in the Tengakhat police station against the alleged victim, her husband Pratap Konwar, Tipamia village headman Nareswar Gogoi and another woman, Putoli Phukan. The army filed the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Putoli was named in the Army complaint as she had allegedly made the village headman sign a memorandum to the district administration about the molested woman. A case had been filed against the Army in the same police station against an unidentified soldier that he allegedly molested the woman during a house-to-house search operation at Tipamia village on October 8. A demonstration by over 5,000 people had also taken place two days later demanding action against the Army personnel involved. Denying the charge pf molestation, defence sources said, "The Army maintains dignity and decorum during operations and we request the people not to fall prey to the nefarious plan of the ULFA to malign us." The sources claimed the victim was "trying to shelter ULFA cadres and was not happy with the counter-insurgency operations". (Agencies) [image: Top]<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071016/asp/northeast/story_8438102.asp#top>
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