Dimapur, Mar 6 (PTI): Three senior officials of Dimapur, including the SP and the Central jail chief, were suspended today, a day after a rape suspect was dragged out of the prison and lynched by a mob in this Nagaland town where the situation was stated to be tense but under control.
One person, who was among the five injured in police firing on the mob, succumbed today, police said. Neighbouring Assam was put on high alert by the Centre following the incident in Dimapur as the rape accused Farid Khan is believed to be from that state.
Khan had allegedly raped a Naga woman several times before he was arrested on February 25.
Infuriated by the alleged rape, the mob had forced its way into the Central jail on Thursday, pulled Khan out before lynching him. Karai Chawang, Press Officer to Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeilang, told PTI on phone from Kohima that a meeting of the state cabinet decided to suspend the district collector, SP and SP, Central Jail, for "their failure to control the situation."
The meeting also decided to arrest all those involved in pulling the rape suspect out of the prison on Thursday, parading him naked and lynching him, he said. Chawang identified the deceased rape suspect as Farid Khan.
One person was injured in police firing on the mob and he later succumbed to his injuries, Meren Jamir, Superintendent of Police of Dimapur, said earlier, adding in all four to five people had sustained injuries in the action.
He said curfew remained in force in Dimapur where the situation was "under control."
Jamir said police could not prevent the mob attack on the jail as the securitymen were vastly outnumbered and there were several school children in the mob.
Asked to comment on reports that the rape accused was a Bangladeshi immigrant, Jamir said "I cannot tell you anything on that now and it is a matter of investigation."
Posse of riot police personnel patrolled the streets of Dimapur. Zeliang said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the mob attack to ascertain if there had been any lapse in security.
Chawang said the cabinet meeting decided to take steps to protect the minority community members amid reports that business establishments owned by them had come under attack in the wake of the rape incident. He also said that Khan's family would be given ex-gratia.
The Centre meanwhile sought a report from Nagaland government on the lynching of the rape accused by a mob and put neighbouring Assam on high alert in the wake of the incident.
"We have sought a report from Nagaland government about the incident and how a mob entered a jail and pull out an inmate," a Home Ministry official said in New Delhi.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that he has already discussed with senior officials about the incident and asked them to take necessary action.
The central government has also alerted neighbouring Assam and asked it to step up vigil so that no untoward incident takes place along its border with Nagaland, officials said.
Zeliang today assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that necessary action would be taken against those who had broken into Dimapur jail and lynched the rape accused.
In a telephonic conversation, the Nagaland Chief Minister Zeliang told Gogoi that a probe into the incident has already been initiated and anyone found guilty would be punished, according to an Assam government release.
Zeliang also said if there were lapses on part of the officials, then necessary steps would be taken against them too.
Earlier Report
Alleged rapist paraded naked, killed in Nagaland, centre asks for report
Dimapur (Nagaland), Mar 5 (IANS): An alleged rapist, suspected to be an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, was dragged out of the high-security central jail in Nagaland's commercial town of Dimapur by an irate mob, paraded naked and then thrashed to death on Thursday, officials said.
At least 10 vehicles were also set ablaze by the unruly mob forcing the authorities to clamp curfew in Dimapur district.
Syed Farid Khan, a 35-year-old second hand car dealer, had allegedly raped a 20-year-old Naga woman on February 23 and 24 at different locations. Police arrested Khan on February 25 and later a lower court sent him to judicial custody.
"A mob of around 4,000 people stormed the central jail after breaking the two gates and took the accused out of jail and paraded him naked to the city tower in the heart of Dimapur town, before we could rescue him from the mob," district police chief Meren Jamir told IANS.
He said Khan died after he was badly thrashed by the mob.
Meanwhile, sources said the accused hailed from Assam's Karimganj district and was involved in other rape cases earlier.
"The body was retrieved from the mob after police fired in the air to disperse them," Jamir said.
"We have clamped curfew in Dimapur district to contain the law and order situation following the unfortunate incident," district magistrate Wezope Kenye told IANS.
He said the district authorities had made all efforts to prevent the mob from storming the central jail.
"We resorted to firing blanks and tear gas shells to disperse the mob but they managed to pull out Khan from the jail," Kenye said.
"The situation is tense and we are making all efforts to restore normalcy in the district," he added.
Many people were injured when police fired to disperse the mob.
The irate mob also lobbed stones at police, set afire several police vehicles besides destroying public property.
"The problem started today (Thursday) morning when people in huge numbers gathered at the Clock Tower to demand exemplary punishment to Farid Khan," said a Dimapur district administration official.
The district administration had imposed curfew in the town on Wednesday after a group of people took out a protest rally against the rape.
However, that failed to deter the people from marching to the central jail.
Police fired in the air to deter the mob, but the mob tore down the gate, dragged the accused to the tower and beat him up severely, that ultimately led to his death.
Police, who were outnumbered by the ever-swelling mob, again fired blanks to disperse the crowd and also to retrieve the body. This infuriated the mob and they pelted stones and burnt down the vehicles.
The incident has created panic among the people, particularly among the trader community, as the protesters demanded the administration to cancel trade licenses of all non-local businessmen in the town.
Centre asks for report on killing of Nagaland rape accused
The Centre on Friday asked the Nagaland government to furnish a detailed report on a rape accused being killed in Dimapur.
A home ministry official told IANS that a report has been sought on the incident.
"The ministry of home affairs has asked for a report on the incident," he said, adding that the situation in Dimapur, where curfew was in place, and elsewhere in the state was under control.
On Thursday, a mob broke into the Central Jail in Dimapur, where the accused (suspected to be an illegal Bangladeshi migrant) was lodged and beat him to death after dragging him out.
The man had allegedly raped a Naga girl on February 23.