ATTEMPTED RAPE: Politician in Assam beaten up and held for police by alleged victim’s village neighbours (with gallery)

In this image taken from video obtained from Network 1 News and Information Syndicate (NNIS), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh Brahma, right, a leader of India’s ruling Congress party, is confronted by villagers in Santipur, India, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. AP/NNIS

Guwahati, Jan 3 (IANS) A Congress leader in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) was taken into custody by police Thursday after he allegedly attempted to rape a woman and was beaten up by villagers. He will be formally arrested as soon the case is filed.

The incident took place at Salbari in Chirang district Wednesday night, police said, adding that Bikram Singh Brahma was handed over to police by the woman’s husband and the villagers Thursday morning.

“Local people caught hold of Brahma in the house of the victim and handed him over to the police. The villagers also beat up the politician before handing him over. The victim’s husband filed a complaint against Brahma, alleging that Brahma had raped his wife,” said Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) S.N. Singh.

“Brahma is in police custody now and he would be arrested soon. The police are waiting for the case to be registered,” said Singh.

Brahma is the coordinator of the Congress party for the four districts of BTAD — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri — and he had also contested the 2011 Assam assembly polls from Chapaguri constituency on a Congress ticket.

“It seems that Brahma had been taking advantage of the woman for quite some time by giving her hopes that he would make her beneficiary of various government schemes,” the IGP said.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Haren Das said that strong disciplinary action will be taken against Brahma if the allegations against him were found to be true.

“Brahma has also been temporarily suspended from the party after the incident,” said Das.

Villagers confront Bikram Singh Brahma

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In this image taken from video obtained from Network 1 News and Information Syndicate (NNIS), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh Brahma (centre) a leader of India's ruling Congress party, is slapped by a woman in the village of Santipur, India, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Police said Brahma was visiting the village of Santipur on the Bhutan border when he entered a woman's house and attempted to rape her at 2 a.m. In a sign that attitudes might be changing since the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, who died of severe internal injuries over the weekend, police have arrested Brahma. AP/NNIS

Tags: Bikram Singh Brahma, Congress leader, rape