Police resorted to baton-charge and open fire tear gas to disperse an agitating mob, who was demanding action against one Depen Chetry over the death of a girl who died in Diphu Civil Hospital on April 23.
The deceased girl was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state by Chetry and the sister of the girl, Martina Engtipi from the rented room of Chetry.
During the baton-charge in front of Diphu Police Station, agitators including a few scribes were beaten up and injured.
Mobile phones of at least two journalists were snatched away by police and damaged in the evening at around 4 pm. A few police personnel also received injuries due to stone-pelting by the mob. The police have taken Dipen Chetry and Martina Engtipi into custody.
Earlier, an angry mob asked Diphu market shopkeepers to down their shutters at around 2pm.
According to the deceased’s sister, Martina Engtipi, at around 7:30 pm in the evening of April 23, she reached the rented accommodation of Chetry in Diphu Market to celebrate her elder sister Jenisha Engtipi’s 20th birthday from Langkangbob in Disobai under Bokolia Police Station.
She found the door locked from inside and later, on the arrival of Chetry, they managed to open the door and found Jenisha in an unconscious state.
Martina said, “My sister was to celebrate her birthday in Diphu on April 23. So, I came down to Diphu from Disobai to take part in it. In the evening, I went to the rented room of Dipen Chetry but found the door locked from inside. I along with Dipen Chetry managed to break open the door and found my elder sister lying unconscious.”
Martina claimed that she and Chetry immediately took the deceased to Diphu Civil Hospital but she was found dead on reaching the hospital.
Martina Engtipi also claimed that her elder sister was in a relationship with Chetry but broke up in 2016 after which they she started to have relationship with Chetry.
On the other hand, the landlord, Parash Roy, informed that it was around 9:30 pm of April 23 that they saw Martina Engtipi and Dipen Chetry taking Jenisha to the hospital. The landlord also helped them to get an auto-rickshaw.
It was in June, 2016 that Chetry occupied the room along with Martina Engtipi (the deceased’s sister) claiming to be married.
As the incident came to light on April 24, a large number of people gathered at Diphu Town Outpost in protest against the death of Jenisha Engtipi. The angry mob asked shopkeepers to close down their shops. The victim is the daughter of Dorsing Engti and Emelia Hansepi.
The deceased’s mother Hansepi said her elder daughter Jenisha Engtipi had a relationship with Dipen Chetry and is shocked to know how her daughter was dead.
Dipen Chetry is working as accountant at a printing press in Diphu market. He hails from Dokmoka under Dokmoka Police Station. In this regard, an FIR has been lodged; the post-mortem report is awaited.
The angry mob who protested at Diphu Police Station dispersed after the police assured them that the matter would be taken seriously.