Assam Nightclub Assault: Woman Stripped & Dragged to Basement, 7 Including Bouncers Arrested

Guwahati: A case of alleged assault and stripping of a woman's clothes has come to light inside a night club in Guwahati, Assam. The incident is being reported from The Locals Bar cum Restaurant located in Khanapara area. In the video surfaced on social media, a woman is seen lying on the ground and some people are seen beating her. After the matter came to light, Guwahati Police started investigation and have now arrested seven people associated with the club. The arrested accused also include club manager, event manager, front office executive and lady bouncer. According to the police, the incident took place around 2:30 am on October 2. 

What happened in the club that night?

According to initial police investigation, there was an altercation between the woman and a female bouncer inside the club. A security guard told police that the woman had allegedly attacked a female bouncer with a beer bottle. After this the dispute escalated and many people associated with the club caught the woman. However, the complete picture of what actually happened before the incident and what triggered the dispute will become clear only after the police investigation. 

What was revealed in CCTV?

According to Guwahati East DCP Tabu Ram Pegu, the police examined the available CCTV footage of the club after getting information about the incident. In the footage, the woman was reportedly seen being attacked by a group of men at around 2:30 am. After this, it was revealed that they pulled her hair and clothes and took her to the basement, where she was beaten again. According to the police, during this time the condition of the woman had become such that she appeared to be in a semi-unconscious state.

What was seen in the viral video on social media?

After the incident, videos related to it went viral rapidly on social media. In a video, the woman is seen lying on the ground, while some women present nearby are seen assaulting her. Some men are also seen present there. In the second video, a woman is purportedly seen trying to lift the victim, but a car arrives shortly after and the scene is partially obscured. These videos have not been independently verified, so every aspect of the incident cannot be considered as the final facts based on them.

Who were arrested including the manager?

Police have arrested seven people in the case. These include 28-year-old bar manager Justin D. Areng, 30-year-old event manager Nikebur Zaman Sarkar alias Roman and 23-year-old front office executive Jhumpa Sinha. Apart from these, Usha Devi, Manju Das, Gaurav Mahant and Dino Sona have also been arrested. The age of the arrested accused is said to be between 21 and 30 years. 

How was the club open even after the scheduled time?

During investigation, the police also found out that the scheduled closing time of the club was 12:30 pm, but the incident happened around 2:30 am. That is, at that time the establishment was open much later than the scheduled time. Police are also investigating how the club got permission to operate beyond the stipulated time and why the management did not inform the local police after the incident.

On what basis did the police register the case?

No formal complaint has come forward from the woman's side yet. Despite this, the police took suo motu cognisance on the basis of available information, video and CCTV footage and registered a case at Dispur Police Station. The police are now investigating the entire sequence of the incident, the role of each accused, the operation of the club and other possible rule violations that came to light.