Indefinite blockade begins along NH-2

 

The indefinite blockade called by the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem (Longkhum youth organization) along the stretch of NH-2 (NH-61), crossing Longkhum village jurisdiction, began Friday, starting from 1:00 am.

Youth volunteers from the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem put up road blocks at different locations on the highway to prevent vehicular movement. The volunteers set up their main blockades near the VK side and near Alichen (the two starting points of Longkhum village), with pockets of road blocks in between the two. The blockade is being supported by the Longkhum Students Union and the Longkhum Watsu telen.

Speaking to media persons, an LLT leader expressed strong displeasure at the lack of progress made in the July 4, 2013 Dimapur murder case, where a young Longkhum girl, Nungshilila, was found murdered in Dimapur.

In this regard, the LLT leaders said that several demands have been made to the state government to expedite the case, but the case is still pending without any progress.
He further disclosed that the Mokokchung district administration arrived at the village on Friday morning in order to negotiate with the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem to lift the indefinite blockade.

However, the LLT leaders conveyed to the district administration that the Telongjem wants a “written assurance” that the forensic tests will be brought and that prosecution will be started “within seven days.” It was informed that the seven day deadline will begin from the day when the said written assurance is delivered by the authorities.
If the authorities cannot expedite the case at the earliest, then the accused in the crime should be handed over to the Longkhum public so that the case can be tried as per the Naga customary laws, they added.  The LLT leaders asserted that unless there is a definite response from the authorities, the indefinite blockade will continue.
Meanwhile, a considerable number of police and IRB personnel were stationed at the blockaded area. No reports of any untoward incidents were reported till the filing of this report.

The Ao Senden, Ao Students Organisation, Ongpangkong Mungdang, Watsu Mungdang and Ongpangkong Watsu Mungdang also visited Longkhum village and interacted with the villagers of Longkhum.

Mokokchung DC appeals
Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner, Murohu Chotso has appealed to the Longkhum Village Council and the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem to call off the agitation, “to continue to receive the sympathy and moral support of the public.” The Mokokchung DC, in a press note, further sought “the wisdom of the court” to dispose the case at an early date, so that the “aggrieved community may also be satisfied.”

 

 

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 14 (MExN): The Ao Senden, Watsü Mungdang and Ao Students’ Conference have expressed surprise that three accused persons in the July 4, 2013 Dimapur murder case have been granted bail. A joint statement from the Ao bodies lamented that this has been done despite demands for denial of bail to the accused persons, till the guilty is penalized and the case is settled.

The Ao organizations demanded that the suspects be rearrested and said that the charge sheet presented by the Special Investigating Officer is “vague and highly questionable.” It added that the case “needs to be re-investigated thoroughly, taking into account all circumstantial evidences by obtaining the Forensic Laboratory Report at the stipulated time.”

The Ao organizations expressed regret that despite a series of representations to the authority, “the government and its investigating agencies have neglected the case by trying to avoid and show insincerity to penalize culprits.  It may be noted that the SIT constituted to investigate the case had established a prima facie case and submitted a charge sheet on October 2, 2013.