Protests in Kokrajhar district over the alleged rape of a mentally ill woman continued for the second consecutive day today keeping several parts of the town tense. Demonstrators remained gathered near the Kokrajhar police station, demanding strict punishment for the accused and raising slogans against the incident.
According to officials, the protests intensified as news of the alleged crime spread across the town. Hundreds of women and local residents were seen staging a sit-in near the police station, blocking roads and disrupting normal movement of vehicles. Police personnel and district administration officials were deployed in large numbers to control the situation and prevent any untoward incident.
Amid the ongoing protest, an unrelated picnic bus was attacked, adding to the chaos. The bus, named Maa Sarada and bearing registration number AS-25 AC 6966, was returning from Balajan in Dhubri to Sarpada near the India–Bhutan border when it entered Kokrajhar town. The bus was carrying school students along with their teachers. 
Eyewitnesses said miscreants hurled stones at the bus, shattering several glass panes. In the stone-pelting, several passengers sustained injuries. Terrified students were seen crying and panicking inside the bus as the attack took place suddenly. Locals rushed to help the injured, while police were informed about the incident.
Later, police intervened and provided an escort to the bus, ensuring that it was safely guided through Kokrajhar town without further incidents.
The protests were triggered by the alleged rape of a mentally ill woman in the Patharghat area of Kokrajhar earlier in the day. Police said the incident reportedly took place around 10 am on Friday. Preliminary information suggests that the woman was lured to a labour camp in the area, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted. A case has been registered at Kokrajhar police station, and an investigation is currently underway.
The accused has been identified as Rafiqul Islam, son of Abdul Kasem Sheikh, a resident of Chapar in Dhubri district. Police said he was working as a supervisor at an ongoing road construction project in Patharghat, where several labourers were staying in temporary camps.
Following the incident, protests were led by the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh Kokrajhar District Committee and Matri Shakti, along with other local organisations. As the agitation grew, some protesters demanded that the accused be handed over to them, prompting authorities to tighten security in the area.
