Guwahati: More than 300 people, including celebrities from the state's film industry, under the banner of the Film Fraternity of Assam (FFA), on Wednesday participated in a protest march holding placards and shouting slogans against the spurt in violence and crimes perpetrated on women.

Actors, music directors, singers and technicians, wearing black, joined the walk from Assam Engineering Institute field in Chandmari to Ganeshguri flyover to voice their concern over recent incidents of rape and murder.

They demanded exemplary punishment to the culprits.

The "black march" was led by renowned actors like Barsha Rani Bishaya, Aimee Baruah, Manjula Barua and others who were carrying the FFA banner.

They were followed by Bani Das, Rajesh Bhuyan, Nirmali Das, Subasana Dutta, Nishita Goswami, the entire cast of TV serial Beharbari Outpost and other members of the film and music industry.

A 12-year-old class V girl was allegedly gang-raped and set afire by three persons near Batadraba in Nagaon district on Friday.

According to Nagaon police, the incident took place when she was alone at home. They gang-raped her, poured kerosene and set her ablaze. All three have been arrested.

A week earlier, a 35-year-old woman was gang-raped by eight men in Kampur of Nagaon district after tying her husband to a tree.

These incidents have shocked the state, leading to protests and causing an uproar in the Assembly.

General secretary of FFA Aimee Baruah said: "We are aghast at the incidents of violence and crimes against women. These incidents have become unbearable. We have hit the streets today (Wednesday) to protest against the barbaric incidents and demand strictest punishment to the perpetrators of crime. At the same time, I personally congratulate the government and police for taking prompt action. Loopholes in the existing legal system of our country help many rapists escape punishment. The cases also take time. There is need for fast-track courts and tougher laws to tackle such appalling crimes. We must get to the root causes that turn men into rapists. We, as part of society, must introspect."