GUWAHATI: A tribal king in Assam’s Karbi Anglong was arrested for allegedly raping a mother of four. Harsing Ronghang (53), the Karbi (tribe) king of Ronghang Rongbong, was arrested after an FIR had been filed against him by the 33-year-old woman, the police said.
“The incident took place on the night of May 17 at the house of the complainant in Hamren. After committing the crime, the accused had threatened her not to disclose it to others. She did not speak out initially, but on Monday, she filed an FIR. Later, we called Harsing to the police station and arrested him,” inspector Kamal Bora told The New Indian Express.
He said the woman had separated from her husband and was living along with two of her children. Bora said the woman had undergone a medical examination and they were awaiting the report. He also said that the accused would be produced in a court.
Ronghang is a ‘customary’ king. Karbi Anglong is an autonomous district council which looks after its administration. The king does not wield any political power, but has his influence and authority over the socio-cultural life of his people. Ronghang has his symbolic palace on a hilltop, some 16km away from Hamren town, where he is assisted by 30 members of his council along with three subordinate kings. People go to him seeking his mediation whenever there is any dispute and he settles it.
The Karbis belong to the Tibeto-Burman group and they migrated to Assam from Central Asia.