Morung Express News Dimapur | March 23 Dimapur witnessed two attempted assassinations in a space of less than 14 hours. Following the attempted life bid of a businessman at Kuda village (Nagarjan) on Thursday evening, another had a narrow escape on Friday morning. The victim - a 46 year-old woman – was shot by an unidentified gunman at the Nepali Basti-Midland road junction. The incident occurred at around 6:00 am. According to the police, the victim is a widowed small time businesswoman, who runs a tea shop. She sustained a bullet wound on the stomach. Her condition was stated to be “out of danger.” While the motive of the shooting was still to be established, extortion is suspected. The assailant was suspected to have come to the area to collect money from the shops that line the place where the woman was shot. The police said that the assailant left the scene in an autorickshaw after shooting the woman. Shootings provoke public anxiety The shootings have provoked public concern with civil organisations including the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), Dimapur District Citizens Forum (DDCF) and Midland colony condemning the incidents in the strongest of terms. The DCCI while urging the law enforcing agencies to expedite the process to nab the culprits also appealed the police to enhance security in the town, particularly in the main business centres. The DDCF while stating, “Dimapur of late has been quite peaceful” said that the sudden surge in such heinous crimes has created fear among the citizens. It appealed the law enforcing agencies to act instantly and restore public confidence. The Midland colony council termed the morning’s shooting as very depressing and more so when the victim is an innocent widowed woman. Calling upon the police to conduct a proper investigation, the council informed that businesses in the colony staged a shutdown as a mark of protest. The NPF (Central) and the party’s Minority Cell also expressed condemnation, with the latter highlighting that life bids happened within a span of 14 hours. The NPF (Central) said that the government of the day should immediately bring the culprits to book without any delay. NPF MLA from 2 Dimapur II AC, Moatoshi Longkumer in a separate statement held it as unacceptable that people should feel unsafe in their own homes and work place. “The culprits should be booked and brought to justice immediately,” the MLA said.
