Dimapur (Nagaland), March 6
The Nagaland government Friday ordered a judicial probe into Thursday's incident where a mob broke into the high-security central jail here and lynched a rape accused.

The government also suspended the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Dimapur district for their failure to tackle the situation.

Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, who chaired a cabinet meeting 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."

"The deputy commissioner and superintendent of police should have taken pre-emptive measures to contain the situation. But they have failed," he said.

Zeliang said fresh orders have been issued to all the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in the state to protect the non-locals, particularly people belonging to minority communities.

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.

Khan, who hails from Assam, was dragged out of the jail by an irate mob, paraded naked and then thrashed to death on Thursday, forcing the authorities to clamp curfew in the district.

The chief minister said culprits behind the in incident will be brought to the book soon and police are on the job to identify them.

Meanwhile, the situation is slowly returning to normal with no reports of any untoward incident Friday.

The authorities imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits unlawful assembly, in and around the town and deployed additional security forces in all the sensitive areas.

One of the four protesters, who received bullet injuries during police firing on Thursday, breathed his last, police said.

Chief Minister Zeliang Friday assured his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi that necessary action would be taken against the perpetrators, who broke into the jail and lynched the alleged rapist.

In a telephonic conversation, Zeliang told Gogoi that a judicial probe into the incident has already been initiated.

"Zeliang further assured a thorough investigation into the matter and anyone found guilty would be punished accordingly. Zeliang also assured that if there were lapses on part of the officials, then necessary steps would be taken against them too," Assam Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.
New Delhi, March 6
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.

Normalcy returning to Dimapur

The situation in Nagaland's commercial hub Dimapur was slowly returning to normal on Friday even though section 144 continues to be in force in and around the town.

Tension had gripped Dimapur Thursday after a mob broke into the Central jail in the town, killed a rape accused and hung his body at Clock Tower.

The state government has already ordered a high level inquiry into the incident.

"Security arrangements have been intensified in and around the town. The situation is under control now," said a senior district administration official.

He said that a youth, who received bullet injuries during the police firing Thursday, died at a local hospital.

The condition of three other youths, who also received bullet injuries in the firing, remains critical.

The Dimapur Muslim Council said the situation is returning to normal with no incidents of backlash reported from anywhere.

"We have formed peace committees in different localities and efforts are on to ensure that the incident does not lead to communal clashes," said A. Rahman, working president of the council.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi condemned the killing of the youth and termed the incident 'barbaric, heinous and inhuman'.

"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 Gogoi in a statement issued Friday while adding that no one could take the law unto their hands and stern action must be taken against those involved in the crime.

"The crime committed by the youth is equally condemnable. But he should have been tried as per law," Gogoi said.