Dimapur aftermath gets murkier

Khan's body flown to Karimganj

Six arrested, additiol security in curfew-clamped Dimapur, galand government warns rumour mongers

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 7: The body of 35-year-old Syed Farid Khan, who was dragged out of Dimapur Central Jail and lynched by a mob in the heart of galand's commercial hub, was today flown to Karimganj, his home district.

An Indian Air Force chopper was arranged by Assam government, in which the body was taken from Dimapur to Karimganj.

The helicopter touched down at Karimganj at 7 pm this evening.

The body was handed over to a minority organization by Dimapur police this forenoon, which in turn handed the body to his family at Karimganj.

The last rites will be performed by the family at his tive place.

Official sources said the apolitical minority organization was given the responsibility of transferring the body so that no commul flare-ups take place.

The officials avoided the land route apprehending trouble on the way.

“The chopper has reached Karimganj. The family has taken the body to their residence,” Karimganj additiol superintendent of police bin Singh said.

Khan is a resident of Bosla village under Badarpur police station. Married to a ga woman, he is survived by a three year old daughter. His father was a defence personnel. Two of his five brothers are also in the Indian Army.

A group of organizations have called a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Badarpur on March 8.

The situation in the district was calm today.

In Dimapur, indefinite curfew remained in place and additiol security personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident.

galand IGP Wabong Jamir said six persons have been arrested so far in connection with the jailbreak and lynching of the rape accused. “We are examining footage collected by the media and those available in social networking sites. Once we identify the people, we will definitely be arresting them,” he said.

Nine additiol companies of State police, CRPF and Assam Rifles have been deployed and security beefed up at religious places, especially mosques, Jamir said.

The galand government has also appealed to social media users not to spread rumours which can lead to commul flare-ups.

It may be mentioned here that a mob on Thursday broke into the Central Jail, dragged out Farid Khan, who had allegedly raped a girl on February 23 and was subsequently arrested by the police and sent to judicial custody.

The mob then moved to the Clock Tower in the heart of the town, brutally thrashing Khan over the 7 km long stretch, leading to his death. Later the mob strung the body to the railing of the Clock Tower for public viewing till the police came and retrieved it by resorting to firing.

The galand government has instituted a judicial probe into the incident and suspended three top officials of the district - the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and jail superintendent - for their failure in handling the situation.