galand off Internet, SMS

22 arrested in lynching case, curfew continues in Dimapur

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 8: Internet connectivity, SMSs and mobile data services across galand have been blocked to prevent rumour mongering as the state remained tensed following the Dimapur lynching case.

Eighteen arrests were made by Sunday in connection with the jailbreak and lynching case, with more arrests likely to be made soon, police said. However, later in the night, the number of arrests swelled to twenty-two.

Curfew remained in place in Dimapur, but the authorities said the situation though tense was under control.

IGP Wabang Jamir said galand government has last evening written to the Department of Telecom and all mobile service providers to block SMSs and mobile data services for 48 hours effective from 6 pm of Saturday till 6 pm of Monday throughout the state.

The galand police have also requested Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block off internet, apart from writing to the Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) regarding the two Facebook pages, where rumours and hate speeches were spread before and continue to be.

When asked on the CCTV footage from the hotel, where the accused and the complaint girl were purportedly putting up, a crucial piece of evidence under police investigation, was leaked and circulated in the social media, Jamir expressed surprise, but ensured that this would also be investigated.

As the simmering tension still prevailed in Dimapur, Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur Kesonyu Yhome said the public movement and vehicular movement shall be strictly prohibited during the period of the total curfew. The public have been informed to strictly abide by the total curfew.

Magistrates, police, paramilitary forces, press and media and emergency services are exempted from the purview of this order. Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc on assembly of more than five persons in Dimapur will continue even after the total curfew, till further notice. The administration has deployed 7 columns of army, 12 companies of galand Police and three companies of CRPF to maintain law and order.

The situation is being reviewed every 12 hours and depending on the situation, the curfew will be relaxed or make more rigid, sources said.

galand Home Minister Y Patton has appealed to the people of the state to act restrained.

In a statement in Kohima today, Patton ‘earnestly’ appealed to any group, be it civil society or political party, not to politicise the Dimapur incident and allow the administration and the law enforcement agencies in the state to perform their duty.

On this unfortute incident at Dimapur, the social media users in galand have brought ‘’utter dishonour’’ to the people of the state  by uploading the incident in various social media sites fuelling and sensatiolizing the incident further, the statement said.

“We should have self-censored responsibilities by the gravity of the incidents and situations. I persolly appeal to the people of the state particularly our youth to exhibit our sense of humanity,” the Home Minister said.

Meanwhile, in Dimapur, representatives from various NGOs, including Muslim Council Dimapur, today called on the new Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur Kesonyu Yhome at his office and appealed to him to ensure security to the lives and properties of Muslim families in the wake of tense situation in Dimapur.

Rape-accused Syed Farid Khan, hailing from Assam and working in Dimapur for several years, was dragged out by a ten-thousand strong mob from the Dimapur central jail, paraded ked through the streets, lynched by the mob and his body tied behind a motorbike and dragged through Dimapur before sticking it up at the city centre on March 5 last.