Guwahati molestation: Reporter accused of instigating mob resigns

Two more persons involved in the group that publicly molested a 17-year-old girl in the heart of the city were arrested, while the television reporter accused of instigating the mob resigned today.
Six days after the incident that triggered a public outrage, 10 persons identified through video clippings have still not been nabbed.
Gaurav Jyoti Neog of 'Newslive' refuted the allegations that he had egged on the mob.
"There are allegations levelled against me that I orchestrated the molestation on the girl on GS Road on the night on July 9. I strongly deny and refute the allegations as malicious and wild," he said in a signed statement here.
He requested the management of the channel to relieve him of his duties till he was cleared of the charges and said he felt it was his responsibility to enable a free and fair trial.
The channel's Executive Director Nitumoni Saikia said the channel was convinced that Neog was not involved in instigating the molestation. "We are not trying to protect or shield anyone but we remain committed in our campaign to get the molesters arrested."
The channel had decided to air the shocking visuals of the molestation to enable the viewers to see the ugly face of the molesters and help police to identify and punish them, in which it has been successful, he said.
Police are also probing charges by a local daily editor who claimed to be an eyewitness to the molestation incident, that a mob of nearly 40 people had tried to gang-rape her that night.
Sub-inspector Subhan Baruah of Dispur police station has been suspended for dereliction of duty, Senior Superintendent of Police, Guwahati city, Apurba Jabon Barua told PTI.
Citizens of Guwahati, under the aegis of several activist groups and NGOs, braved the rains today to register their protest and anger against the Assam government, police and the media, on the molestation case.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Dighalipukhuri area since morning and later took out a rally demanding immediate arrest of all the culprits and ensuring justice to the victim.

"The total number of arrested persons in Monday's molestation incident is now six," said Barua.

The two arrested persons are Diganta Basumatary and Navajyoti Deka, the SSP said.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi gave direction to the police yesterday to arrest the culprits within 48 hours.

Prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita, however, is still at large. There were some reports that he has been detained in Odisha but the police denied it.

Kalita's father Mahesh Kalita said, "if he (Amarjyoti) is found guilty, he must be punished. We feel very sad and angry".

Police has come under sever criticism from various quarters with allegations being made that cops reached the spot around 45 minutes after the molestation of the girl in the city's busy Christianbasti area on GS Road.

A one-member commission under Additional Chief Secretary Emily Choudhury has been constituted to investigate the incident and submit a report within 15 days.

A controversy broke out over the video footage of the incident with RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, who screened the video at the Guwahati Press Club, alleging that the news channel journalist filming it on his mobile phone was joined by a colleague to whom he was heard saying that he had instigated it, a charge rejected as baseless by Managing Editor of the news channel Syed Zarir Hussain.

The TV channel had aired fresh footage to establish that the TV journalist and cameraman tried to save the girl and asked the mob to stay away.