Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday denied media reports that a woman was burnt to death allegedly by her husband for returning home late from an interaction with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Jorhat last Wednesday. Initial reports mistakenly said the victim, Banti Chutia, Congress ward member of the Bekajan panchayat, had “kissed” Mr. Gandhi during the interaction.
Mr. Gogoi said she was not among the 600 women who had taken part in the interaction but she might have been among the thousands who had gone to Jorhat to see Mr. Gandhi outside the venue. Information he got from the Director-General of Police, Khagen Sarma, and other sources indicated that the couple did not have any altercation after she returned from the Upper Assam town. The family dined together that day. The next morning, she met people and went about her usual work before the unfortunate incident in the afternoon. Her husband, Shomeswar Chutia, also sustained burns.
A section of the media quoted “sources” and “local residents” as saying that her husband had rebuked her for returning home late following which she set herself ablaze. Some news channels showed a few women showering kisses and blessings on Mr. Gandhi.
The Chief Minister alleged that “publication of such news without verifying facts could be part of a conspiracy to malign the party.”
