Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 20
Vekhwütso Vasa today alleged that there was “conspiracy” and “foul play” in the “tragic death” of his son Sepoy Vezota Vasa of Jat Regiment at Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh). Sepoy Vasa died on June 23 last, and his family has demanded a fresh probe into the incident. “Deliver justice to us and give appropriate punishment to the culprit,” Vasa said, while addressing a press conference here at Kohima Press Club.
Unsatisfied with the present investigation conducted by Jat Regiment and Bareilly Police, Vasa said the family has decided to lodge a fresh FIR. The Jat Regiment at Bareilly has alleged that his death was a case of suicide.
Giving the facts of the case, which have already been published earlier by The Morung Express, Vasa stated that the death was reported 40 minutes after Lt. Vasa’s body was found, his post mortem was conducted without the permission of his family, with his family not even allowed to clean or clothe the body later.
According to the pictures taken by the police, and which was shown to us, said Vasa, Lt. Vezota’s zipper was unzipped and his half pant was unbuttoned. He added that a fresh drop of sweat could also be seen in the picture which clearly shows that he could have survived if taken to hospital for emergency medical treatment.
“If someone wants to commit suicide, he will struggle while giving his/her strength to tighten the death of self but there was no sign of such struggle as his slipper was well put-on and his legs were not stiff according to the pictures shown to us by the police,” Vasa stated.
“Questions asked by us to the Investigation Officer (IO), the Jat Regimental Centre and his army mates were never answered.
Instead of answering, all they said was pata nahi hai, kya hua (we don’t know what happened). Most of the post mortem report was written in Hindi, and there was no clear report written/given otherwise. All his barrack mates said that they slept off and they don’t know anything, when their barrack toilet was just next to their door. When we asked the IO who the JCO on duty that night was, all the IO replied was he did not know, when it is clearly known that the name of the officer-in-charge will be written in the Duty list or Check list,” Vasa stated.
Vasa also stated that whenever his son used to call up, he used to complain that other army mates used to abuse him out of jealousy as Lt. Vezota Vasa had good relations with his senior officers.
“If post mortem is done on a dead body after some hours, there will never be bruise or swelling on the body, but due to the cutting during post mortem his face and skin were swollen which clearly shows that the dead body was very much fresh,” Vasa stated.
Vasa added that “The last time when he (Lt. Vezota Vasa) came for vacation, he was irritable about the abuses and just before he left for Bareilly he was complaining that he didn’t want to go back and wanted to resign from his post. In view of the above stated points, it is very clear there was conspiracy and foul play in his tragic death.”
Earlier, The Naga Hoho had demanded a fair and impartial investigation into the mysterious death of Sepoy Vezota Vasa.
In a representation to Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, submitted through Nagaland’s Governor P B Acharya, the Naga Hoho stated that there have often been reports of Naga boys being harassed and meted out undue humiliation after joining various professions in the mainland and one such case was the result which led to the demise of one Sepoy Vezota Vasa of Jat Regiment at Bareilly (UP) on June 23 last.
The Western Chakhesang Hoho (WCH) had also submitted a representation to Nagaland’s Governor to look into the death of Sepoy Vezota Vasa; the circumstances of his death have been found by his family and community to be “suspicious.”
In its representation, WCH requested Governor to “personally intervene” on the matter of Vasa’s death to see to it that the “truth is unfolded at the earliest by conducting a fair and impartial investigation.”
