Armed men assault youths, road blockade in protest

Morung Express News Dimapur | July 25   The Signal Basti-Thahekhu road here was blockaded till the afternoon of July 25 by Kevijau colony residents protesting an assault incident. The blockade was called after three youths of the colony were assaulted by armed men earlier in the morning.   The armed men, two of whom were later arrested by the police, were allegedly acting on instigation by a truck driver, who was stated to have flouted the ‘No Parking’ rule enforced on heavy vehicles by the Kevijau Colony Council (KCC) at the Kevijau stretch of the Signal Basti-Thahekhu road. The KCC maintained that the youths were only implementing the rule. The rule adopted in March this year endorsed the youths of the colony to implement the same.  

As per the three youths, who were assaulted, they were out jogging early in the morning when they saw two trucks parked on the roadside adjacent to the FCI depot. Citing the ‘No Parking’ rule, they said the drivers were told to move their trucks while they left the spot to continue the jog. It was around 5:00 am.   Returning about an hour and a half later, the youths said that the trucks had not moved and more had lined up reportedly waiting for the FCI depot gate to open. While stating that the truck drivers disregarded their demand to move the trucks, the youths said that the latter subsequently seized the keys to the trucks to be handed over to the KCC chairman. Telling the truck drivers to collect the keys from the chairman they left the spot to have breakfast at a nearby hotel, they said.   Not long after, two armed men in a Bolero turned up looking for the youths. According to the youths the armed men were brought by one of the truck drivers, later identified by the police as one Mangal Tamang.   “The men located us and started assaulting us at gunpoint,” one of the youths said. They were allegedly beaten and were even forced to get into the Bolero to be whisked away. When they protested, two shots were fired, the bullets hitting the ground near one of the youths. Meanwhile, two other armed men turned up in another vehicle.   According to the youth (name withheld), before the shots were fired one of the men pointed a pistol at the back of his friend, who was being forced into the vehicle, and pulled the trigger. While it could not be ascertained, the youth said that the shot misfired. Seeing this, the youth intervened to save his friend only for the armed man to point the pistol towards his leg and fire two shots. He was then hit by the pistol on the temple sustaining a gash. The third youth was hit on the back of the head. Hearing the commotion, residents in the vicinity turned up following which the four men left.   The incensed residents of the colony in response blockaded the road. An FIR was also lodged at Sub-urban Police Station. As the blockade ensued, the driver was arrested by the police while the assaulters remained at large.   While the KCC complied with the Administration’s appeal to call off the blockade in the interest of commuters, the protestors blockading the road expressed apprehension over the authority’s seriousness to pursue the assaulters. The protestors relented later and the blockade was called off around 2:30 pm.   The KCC submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner stipulating a period of seven days to nab the assaulters, giving befitting punishment to the driver. The protestors further resolved that they will not allow the FCI depot to open till such time the assaulters were brought to justice.   Meanwhile, the ADCP and PRO, Dimapur police in a press release informed that two of the assaulters were arrested. The two were identified as Honito Chishi and Vinoka Zhimomi. One unlicensed .32 pistol and Mahindra Bolero were also confiscated from their possession, the release said.   The duo arrested and the two absconding assaulters are reportedly civilians, while the Bolero had NL 10 registration plate. This was still to be verified.