Sharp reactions after rape accused lynched to death in Dimapur, alleged rape victim was close to deceased accused

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Dimapur: A day after killing a rape accused Syed Sarif Uddin Khan in a most inhuman way by a mob lynching and hanging in Dimapur in India’s north-eastern state of Nagaland, people across the region have demanded justice for this barbaric act.


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Various civil society organisations have condemned the incident of the mob and the failure of Nagaland government to maintain law and order.


Activists of AAMSU protest against the Dimapur incident in Guwahati.
Activists of AAMSU protest against the Dimapur incident in Guwahati. (Courtesy: By LAL SINGH)

Meanwhile, sources said that the victim girl who lodged complaint is sister in law (cousin of wife of the deceased) of Khan and was allegedly also in an affair with him, or was at least “close to him”. The CCTV visuals from the hotel, where the alleged rape occurred, give credence to this, said this. In the visuals, both Khan and the girl can be seen entering the hotel in a jolly mood, the source said.

It is not immediately clear though as to why she reported the case then. The rumour mill suggests that she did it for monetary gains. “There seems to be some larger conspiracy behind the entire episode. We cannot ascertain anything now as the matter was being investigated by the police. He was not yet convicted for the crime,” said a fellow businessman who did not wished to be named.

A section of media and people have been depicting Khan as a suspected Bangladeshi national. However, the fact is that earlier his father served and currently two of his brothers are serving in the Indian Army.

His father late Siraj Uddin Khan served in Military Engineer Services (MES) and was based at Kumbhirgram airport air force base. While two of his brothers are with Indian Army – Zamal Uddin Khan is posted in Jammu and Kashmir and Kamal Uddin Khan is in Chhattisgarh.

Former Assam minister and South Karimganj MLA, Siddique Ahmed said that a section of the people is trying to give political colour the incident by terming Khan as a Bangladeshi.

“No way Khan can be a Bangladeshi national when his entire family belongs to Bosla village of Karimganj city. Besides, three members of their family have served in Indian Army,” Ahmed told TCN.

He also said that the Nagaland government is to be blamed for the entire thing. “This is something which has never been witnessed as far as memory goes. The President’s Rule should be imposed in the state to control the law and order situation. The enquiry should be handed over to the CBI and adequate compassion should be granted to the next kin of Khan,” Ahmed added.

Besides, he demanded adequate security of Bengali-speaking people in Nagaland.

On Friday Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi condemned the barbaric incident. “The manner in which the youth was dragged out of police custody and killed brutally by a mob on the streets is highly condemnable,” said the Gogoi adding that no one could take law unto their hands and stern action must be taken against those involved in the heinous crime.

Later in the day, the Nagaland government ordered a judicial probe into the incident. The Nagaland government also suspended the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Dimapur district for their failure to tackle the situation.

Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang, who chaired a cabinet meeting on Friday, said, “It is highly condemnable incident. The cabinet decided to suspend the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Dimapur district immediately for their failure to tackle the situation”. Zeliang also assured Assam CM Gogoi that necessary action would be taken against the perpetrators who broke out an alleged rapist from jail.

Meanwhile, on Friday, several organizations and civil society staged protests across Assam. They have also called for strikes on Sunday.

All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) and others burnt the effigy of Nagaland CM for failing to control the law and order. Barak Valley Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti (BVNASA) has called for a 12 hour Karimganj district bandh on Sunday.

BTAD Citizen Rights Forum (BCRF) also condemned the brutal killing of Sarif Khan at Dimapur. BCRF demands high level enquiry into the incident and strongest possible punishment of all the culprits involved, said BCRF president Zamser Ali. It also condemns the conspiracy by a section to term Sarif as Bangladeshi only to justify the barbaric act.

BCRF further demands the safety and security of all people of Assam who resides in Nagaland.

In a hair rising incident, a rape accused was paraded naked in streets, lynched and later hanged in full public glare at Dimapur, the capital of northeastern state of Nagaland, on Thursday.

The incident was widely reported by local television channels and also those from the neighbouring Assam. Police said, one Syed Sarif Khan had allegedly raped a girl on February 24. Following the complaint lodged by the girl, police arrested Khan from his residence.

Khan was pulled out from the police station by the mob. Quoting eye witnesses, a local TV channel said he was stripped naked and paraded in the street before he was hanged at the City Tower. “The accused was about to be set on fire but police intervention did not allow that. However, he was immediately hanged,” said an eyewitness.

The accused was a resident of Bosla village of Karimganj city. The man was arrested by police in an alleged rape case of a Naga woman and police was investigating the case. Two of his brothers are serving in the Indian Army.

Earlier, the protestors had thronged the roads of the city for last couple of days demanding the police and district administration to hand over the accused. The protesting mob had burnt down shops and attacked non-locals based in the city.

Various organizations and students’ bodies have been protesting for the last few days.

Meanwhile, miscreants vandalized shops and other business establishments across the city. On Wednesday night itself, several dozens of shops of non-locals who are from different parts of Assam and other places of the country were vandalized.

The miscreants also attacked some Bengali speaking people from Assam’s Barak Valley. The locals term these Bengali speaking people as Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants (IBI) just because of their language.

Related:

Dimapur burns as rape accused hanged by protestors

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