Police Arrest Seven After Viral Videos Show Alleged Assault Of Woman Inside Guwahati Bar

Seven people, including the manager of a nightclub, an event manager, a front-office executive and female bouncers, have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of a woman at an establishment in Guwahati’s Khanapara area. Police registered a suo motu case after videos purportedly showing the incident circulated widely on social media. The arrests followed an examination of available CCTV footage and an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault. The woman’s identity has not been disclosed, and police are investigating the sequence of events and the individual roles of those involved.

According to police, the incident took place at around 2.30 am on Friday at The Locals Cafe and Lounge, located on the fourth floor of a building in Khanapara. CCTV footage examined by investigators allegedly showed the woman being assaulted inside the establishment by a group of people before she was dragged towards the basement by her hair and clothes. Police said she appeared to become semi-conscious after the alleged assault. Videos subsequently circulated online, purportedly showing the woman on the floor in the building’s parking area while several people were around her.

The seven arrested people have been identified as bar manager Justin D Areng, event manager Nekibur Zaman Sarkar, front-office executive Jhumpa Sinha, and Usha Devi, Manju Das, Gaurav Mahanta and Dino Sona. Police said several of those arrested were associated with the establishment or its staff. The arrests came after authorities took note of the videos and examined CCTV footage, rather than following a complaint from the woman, whose identity remains unknown. Police have registered the case on their own and are examining the role allegedly played by each person present during the incident.

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Police are also investigating reports of an earlier altercation between the woman and a female bouncer inside the nightclub. A security guard told investigators that the woman allegedly struck the bouncer with a beer bottle, after which other bouncers allegedly intervened and took her towards the basement. However, this account forms part of the preliminary information being examined by police, and the complete circumstances leading to the alleged assault have not yet been established. Investigators are expected to determine what happened before the confrontation, how it escalated and who was directly involved.

The investigation has also raised questions about the nightclub’s operating hours. Police said the establishment was found to have remained open beyond its permitted closing time of 12.30 am, while the alleged assault occurred around 2.30 am. Authorities are examining whether there were violations connected with the establishment’s operation and why the management did not inform the local police station about the incident. The establishment was found closed after the videos began circulating, while police continued questioning people connected with the case and examining available CCTV footage and other evidence.

Guwahati East Deputy Commissioner of Police Tabu Ram Pegu said the investigation would examine the complete sequence of events, the role of each person involved and any other violations that emerge during the probe. The seven arrested individuals face allegations connected with assault and offences against the woman, with police investigating the applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The case remains under investigation, and the viral videos are being treated as part of the evidence being examined by authorities. Police have not publicly disclosed further details about the woman’s condition or identity.

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