By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Dimapur (Nagaland): After the brutal incident of killing of a rape accused by an unruly mob in full public glare in Dimapur, activists and various organizations have held the Nagaland government and administration responsible for ‘conspiracy’, especially as it is emerging now that the girl was not raped.
Quoting Jamal Uddin Khan, the brother of the deceased, NDTV reported that Sarif Uddin Khan was made a scapegoat. He claimed that the medical reports have shown that there was no instance of rape. Jamal Uddin Khan also claimed that his brother was framed by Naga groups and the police were hand in glove in the incident.
Civil society has also condemned the incident of terming the accused Syed Sarif Uddin Khan as an illegal Bangladeshi national, although it is clear now that he was from Assam’s Karimganj district.
Many suspect that Khan was brutally killed as he was projected as a Bangladeshi. These organizations have blamed the administration and the local media for spreading rumours to instigate the people.
The Tribune quoted Nagaland Director General of Police LL Dougel as saying that a suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrant, Syed Sarif Khan, who was accused of raping a local Naga college student in Dimapur, was on Thursday brought out of the jail by an angry mob led by students and some social organisations and was badly thrashed.
Besides, the local media based in Dimapur termed Khan as Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrant (IBI), as also many national media.
Senior journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee who has covered the region extensively tweeted, “Xenophobia in NE states is as old as I am and a large majority there have been invisible population targeted forever as “outsiders”.”
Guwahati based Char Chapori Sahitya Parishad (CCSP), a literary body has asked the government and administration to apologize for their blunder of terming an Indian citizen as suspected Bangladeshi.
“This is a serious offence that without knowing the real identity of an individual, how can a district head or a police chief can make such statement? If they do not apologize for it, we will be bound to go to the court or to the Human Rights Commission,” CCSP president Hafiz Ahmed told TN.
All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), which has been staging protest after the incident seeking justice said that CBI should be handed over the enquiry.
“The entire episode seems to be conspiracy. It is impossible in a democracy like India that an accused is taken out over powering security. We strongly condemn the incident and we seriously think that there must be involvement of the government,” said AAMSU president Abdur Rahim Ahmed.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi blamed the failure of central security forces and central government for this incident. “The security in the jail was under central security forces who failed to stop the lynching. It is the Centre which is responsible for ensuring security of the inmates,” Gogoi said outside the state assembly where opposition members demanded steps for ensuring safety of Assamese people.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the body of Khan reached his home town in an Indian Air Force helicopter. And his last rites will be performed on Sunday.
The Minority Welfare Society Assam (MWSA) appeals to all MLAs and MPs of the state to raise the matter in the Assembly and Parliament as it involves the safety and security of Indian citizens in general and those belonging to Assam in particular. The Society also resolves to involve the civil society and intellectuals of the State to create more awareness about human rights among the people of the region.
Amnesty International India said that lynching of rape suspect in Nagaland must be investigated. “This is a serious lapse in the criminal justice system,” said Shemeer Babu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India. “The Nagaland government must ensure that every person who was part of the mob is brought to justice. Failure to do so will send the message that anyone can commit outrageous abuses and attempt to justify them as an expression of public anger.”
National Student Union of India (NSUI) leader Deboprakash Bhagowti said that this incident should be properly investigated. “This is a serious case of human rights violation. We demand that the Nagaland government should shoulder the responsibility and take necessary steps. We also demand that the security should be enhanced so that such incidents do not reoccur in future,” Bhagowati said.
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