Uproar in Indian state over alleged gang-rape

New dehli. The alleged gang-rape of a woman in a moving vehicle in India’s northeastern state of Assam has shocked and outraged people, leading to protests and rallies.The incident, remarkably similar to the December 16 gang rape of a physiotherapy student in New Delhi last year, which caused a national uproar, occurred in Boginadi town in Lakhimpur district, some 360km from the state capital of Guwahati last Friday.Reacting to the protests, the state government has ordered a crack special investigation team to investigate the alleged rape. The woman was thrown out of a three-wheeler autorickshaw, and died a day later in the hospital.Since then, protests have been growing in the state with activists of the All-Assam Students Union and women’s rights organisations protesting in front of the local police station.A youth organisation, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), has staged candlelight rallies in the district, according to media reports.The reports said there were three men in the vehicle when the incident occurred.They allegedly not only raped the woman, but beat her up with an iron rod before throwing her out of the moving vehicle, according to the reports. One man has been taken into custody.Reports quoting a top police official said they were waiting for the autopsy report. At the same time, they were also investigating whether it was a planned murder or an accident.