Women Beat Rape Politician In India As Controversy Continues

Tensions have flared in India over the issue of rape and rape culture, and a group of women beat a politician accused of rape after stripping his clothes off after an alleged sexual assault incident that occurred last week in the northeastern state of Assam.

According to the New York Times’ India vertical, a crowd of women beat the politician accused of rape after his arrest, and local police supervisor Sanjit Krishna confirmed that local news stations aired footage of the crowd attacking, stripping, and then beating the suspected rapist.

The paper reports that Assam politician Bikram Singh Brahma is “a member of the Congress Party in Assam and president of a district Congress committee in the state” and that he was placed under arrest in Chirang Thursday after the husband of the alleged victim filed a rape complaint.

The Times says:

“Sanjit Krishna, the superintendent of police in the area, said in an interview that Mr. Brahma was also beaten and stripped by local women. Local television stations showed footage of several women ripping off Mr. Brahma’s shirt and smacking him on the face and stomach before several men join in to hit him … Brahma attacked the woman Wednesday night while he was staying at her family’s house, Mr. Singh said on Thursday. ‘He was staying at their house, and under what circumstances will be the subject matter of the investigation,’ he added.”

The paper quotes a local police inspector, G.P. Singh, as referring to the statute for rape under which the politician stands accused, saying:

“A case has been registered against him under I.P.C. 376 by the lady’s husband.”

The BBC reports that, while women beat the politician accused of rape and demanded a recorded confession, no arrest has yet been made.