Morung Express News
Kohima | June 16
Tension gripped the state capital Kohima, and normal life remained paralyzed for nearly six hours in the heart of the town today as hundreds of people representing the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) staged a protest at the MLA junction with a vehicle carrying the coffin of A. Khoney Chang, who was murdered Thursday evening. Source said that Lt. Khoney alias Atang, a peon under the PHE Department, was reportedly beaten to death by six miscreants who forcibly took him away from his residence last night.
Source also said that the six youths came to Khoney’s home at around 6 p.m. and told his family that they were taking him to High School area. His wife and other family members protested but failed and he was taken away by the said youths, after which the search started. They were later informed that his body was dumped at the North Police Station later at around 9:15 pm and later taken to South Police Station. Police source said that the badly-battered body of Khoney was dumped at the North police station by the youths, who reportedly told the police to arrest him saying that the deceased has been punished. However, police said he was already dead by the time they dumped his body. The police immediately arrested the youths.
Other sources said that the murder was an act of vengeance for a previous incident, where a women reportedly slashed her palm with dao (Machete) in which the Lt Khoney was implicated by the youths. They said the woman had 14 stitches on her palm as a result of the slash. They also revealed that whereas the wife and family members of Khoney had pleaded for forgiveness for the accident, their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The accused were identified by police as Suobe-o Rulho, son of Thinchülie Angami, Mhasüvilie Rulho (24), son of Zalhouvi Angami; Kiyasetuo Kenguruse (23), son of Medovi Angami, Rukuhelie Mere (24), son of Thosi Mere Angami; Vingutuo Rutsa (22), son of Zeio Rutsa Angami, all hailing from Nerhema village, and the taxi driver, Rajen Roy, son of Sahadev Roy of Silchar, Assam, a resident of D-Block Kohima. Hundreds of people under the aegis of Kohima ENPO assembled at MLA with the vehicle carrying the coffin of late Khoney and blocked the MLA Hostel Junction for well over six hours demanding that the accused be brought to them with immediate assurance.
Kohima SP and DC tried their best to pacify the crowd, however, tension ran high as several speakers which included the representatives of ENPO expressed resentment over the murder and even hurled abuse at the state government and the people from the so-called advanced tribes of mistreating the people belonging to the backward tribes.
The situation nearly turned ugly as the expiry of the deadline of an hour for the police to produce the six culprits before them for punishment drew near, and the irate crowd threatened to break into the lock-up holding the accused and punish them. Efforts by legislators from the area and the DC and SP Kohima to pacify the agitators did not bore any result.
Nagaland Home Minister, Thenucho, who also tried to pacify the crowd, was humiliated when he was prevented to speak to the crowd and was rudely told to go away.
The crowd was pacified only when, after an emergency meeting, the government announced that it would fulfill the four-point charter of demands of the ENPO (See box). The state government has been given 30 days to take action against all the guilty and fulfill all its commitments.
Those who spoke at the protest included representatives of Chang Union Kohima, Eastern Naga Peoples’ Organisation, Kohima Unit, PHED, President of BJP MC Konyak, Parliamentary Secretary Irrigation and Flood Control, Transport and Communication Minister, Imtilemba, SP and DC Kohima.
The body of Khoney was later taken to his native village, Yampi, under Tuensang district, escorted by two police vehicles.
