Chandmari police station. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, April 23: With Rizwanur Rahman’s fate still fresh in mind, an elderly woman here filed a complaint with the Police Accountability Commission accusing two city police officers of breaking up her son’s marriage which did not have the blessings of the bride’s family.

Sayeda Matima Kazi filed the complaint through her acquaintance Moinuddin Ahmed, who told reporters that Sayeda’s 22-year-old son Salim Javed had a love affair with Rupa Krishna Gogoi, 19.

“Since the girl’s family was against the inter-religion marriage, Rupa eloped with Salim on March 8 and subsequently got married according to Islamic law. Before marriage, Rupa had converted to Islam,” Ahmed told reporters.

He said Rupa was forced to leave her in-laws’ home in Bhaskar Nagar under Chandmari police station because of continuous harassment by the police. The two police officers named in the complaint are deputy superintendent of police (Chandmari division) Susanta Biswa Sarma and inspector of Chandmari police station Kamal Baruah.

“Fearing for her life, she is now staying in an undisclosed place. As a conscious citizen and a family friend, I have filed the complaint before the commission seeking action against the guilty officers,” Ahmed said.

He said if required they would also move the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

Sayeda, in her signed complaint, said three days after the couple eloped, she and one of her relatives, Abul Hazarika, were picked up by policemen from Chandmari police station.

She said both were assaulted by the policemen who wanted to know the couple’s whereabouts. Two police officers harassed her to put pressure on her son to annul his marriage with Rupa, Sayeda wrote in the complaint.

On March 20, Chandmari police arrested Salim Javed on charges of kidnapping the girl in connection with a case registered under Section 366 IPC on the basis of a complaint filed by Rupa’s father A.C. Goswami. The police sent Rupa to the State Home for Women.

“After Salim was released on bail and Rupa came out of the state home, the couple reunited but continued to be hounded by the police to end their marriage. As a result, the couple as well as Salim’s mother had to leave their residence and were staying in an undisclosed place fearing for their lives,” Ahmed said.

When contacted for his comments, additional superintendent of police (city) Debojit Deori said since the complaint was filed with the commission, it is upto the high-powered panel to inquire into its merits.

Deori, however, said since the girl’s family had lodged a complaint of kidnapping, the police were looking into it. “During investigation, the police will have to question someone as we do not have a magic wand to know what had happened or who is at fault. In this particular case, the mother of the boy was questioned,” he added.