Guwahati, June 10 (IANS): Police in Assam have arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in forcing some dancers to strip during a cultural programme at a village in Assam's Kamrup district.
The police said four persons have been arrested on Sunday after the artists of the cultural troupe lodged an FIR with the police on Saturday. The incident took place on June 7 at Asalpara under Boko police station in Assam's Kamrup district, a few kilometres away from Guwahati.
Police said that the 42-member dance troupe from Boko was invited by organisers of some Eid Mehfil to Asalpara area. As per the agreement, the dance troupe went there to perform and started performance of their dance numbers.
"However, about 600 youths who had gathered there asked the troupe members to perform nude dance. When the members of the dance group objected to this, the youths claimed the organisers had assured the people that they are bringing dancers from Coochbehar who will perform nude before the audience," the police said while quoting the FIR lodged by the dance group.
"The youths there also threatened to kill us if we do not perform nude saying they had paid huge money as ticket fees only to see a nude performance," said a member of the Rainbow dance troupe on condition of anonymity.
He said the members of the group were forced to dance while they were also verbally abused on stage. "We tried to escape to the vehicle but the people got agitated and damaged our vehicles. Somehow we managed to escape from there," he said.
A video of the chaos that took place with the audience forcing the dance troupe members to strip and perform and the violence that followed went viral on social media drawing flak across Assam.
"We have arrested four persons who were involved in the whole incident. These four were instrumental in organising the cultural programme. Based on the FIR filed, we have arrested two on Sunday while other two were arrested later," police said adding that the investigation is on to book other culprits.
