Newmai News Network
Kohima | September 6
The scourge of rape seems not to have left the people of Nagaland yet. After a brief lull, the month of August witnessed two rape cases – one thirty year old woman and another of a class VII student, both killed after being raped. And in both the rape cases, non-local migrant workers were involved, raising once again the question of the role of non-locals in the degradation of morals and increase in crimes in Nagaland.
One of the victims was a thirty year old woman named Rosila Humtsoe of New Ralan, Wokha district, who was reportedly married to a Muslim trader named Raju. She was called out from her house on August 21 evening by one Rikit Ali on the pretext that her husband needed her help, said a police source, and on the afternoon of the next day her nude dead body was discovered in a jungle below the New Ralan, Old Ralan and Chandalusung village junction, under Wokha district, suspected to be gang raped before she was brutally murdered.
In connection with the incident, a non-local bamboo contractor identified as Sumonto Das (50) was lynched to death on August 23 at Ralan by an irate mob after learning that he provided refuge to two of the accused involved in the gang rape and then allowed them to flee on learning that the villagers were on to them, said the source.
Police sources disclosed that the two who fled were Rokit Ali and Shajan, a labourer suspected to be the main accused. The rest of the labourers who were detained by the Nagaland Armed Police personnel at Ralan post and then reportedly shifted to Kohima from Wokha police station for security reasons were identified as Raju (husband of the victim), Nadipur Rehman (25), Muhammad Rahmudri (35), Muhammad Faruk Ahmed (25), Opendra Oram and Josna Khan, the mother of Rokit Ali.
Strongly condemning the August 21 gang rape and murder case at New Ralan under Wokha district allegedly by some Muslim labourers, the Kyong Hoho (KH), Kyong Students’ Union (KSU) and Kyong Eloe Hoho (KEH) have demanded that the district administration find out the culprits and award them befitting punishment.
KH chairman, Yansathung Jami, and joint secretary Panathung Humtsoe in a representation to the Deputy Commissioner of Wokha said it was confirmed that Roshila, wife of Raju, was gang raped and murdered on August 21, at New Ralan. Stating that such “inhuman act” cannot be tolerated as it was alien to the Naga society, the apex Kyong organisation urged the authority to find out the culprits involved in the incident and award the “highest punishment”. It warned of initiating its own course of befitting action if the government delayed in finding out the culprits.
The Kyong Hoho pointed out that at no point of time had there been any restriction in individual liberty of marriage in terms of tribe, caste or religion in the Kyong community and as such, it expected respectable treatment from others.
Vehemently condemning the incident, the Kyong Students’ Union (KSU) has asked the responsible authority to arrest the culprits at the earliest and award them the severest punishment. In a stern warning to the Muslim community in Wokha, the KSU said they must also own responsibility for the “heinous crime” and assist the authorities in nabbing the culprits failing which they should be ready to face the “rage and anger” of the Kyong community which would be cast upon them in the “most severe manner”.
In another unrelated case, Rinika Jigdung (14), a resident of Mohendujua in Karbi Anglong, Assam, was allegedly murdered after being raped at a brick field in Dimapur on August 25. Robilal Jigdung, father of the victim, expressed suspicion that the crime might have been committed by the employees of the brick field where he works as a supervisor.
According to the father, the incident took place while the entire family was out in the market and the victim was watching TV alone at home. When the family came back at around 6:00 pm they found the door of the house jammed from inside and when it was forced open they found Rinika lying in a corner of the room with multiple injuries on her body including her private part inflicted by a sharp weapon. The victim succumbed to the injuries before she could be referred for any medical treatment, said the father of the victim.
Robilal also said that the brick field was dominated by Bihari and Muslim labourers and alleged that the owner of the brick field had insisted that he should not file any FIR in the local police station at Dimapur or conduct post-mortem but cremate the body as early as possible. Accordingly, the mortal remains of Rinika Jigdung was cremated at her native village, to which the local people of the area have expressed anguish over the callousness of Robilal Jigdung for not seeking the help of police either in Dimapur or Mohendujua (under Manja polce station) to bring the culprits to book.
All Nagaland Kachari Students’ Union, Dimasa Youth Organisation, Nagaland, All Dimasa Students’ Union, Nagaland and Garo Students Union, Nagaland Zone, have strongly condemned the alleged rape and murder of Rinika Jigdung in a joint press statement and have also appealed to all “right thinking” citizens and organisations to condemn such acts perpetrated on a minor girl. They urged the police and local administration to book the culprits at the earliest and award “severest” punishment as per law.
