Nagaland protest rally
Hundreds of people, mostly women, attended the rally.

Dimapur: A protest rally was held at Supermarket in Nagaland’s Dimapur, on Monday against the delayed justice in the case of 31-year-old Kesuthlungle Newme, who was found brutally killed near the NSCN (IM) Martyrs Park at Pimla village on April 7.

The rally, organised by the Zeliangrong Youth Organisation Nagaland, Zeliangrong Students Union Nagaland and Zeliangrong Mipui Organisation Nagaland, demanded declaration of the names of the accused involved in the murder and early submission of the forensic science laboratory (FSL) report in the case.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

Hundreds of people, mostly women, attended the rally.

After the rally, an ultimatum was served to the Dimapur commissioner of police by the protesters.
The organisations demanded that the names of the culprits/accused persons involved in the case be declared and the FSL report submitted within 15 days, failing which they threatened to take recourse to higher authorities for redressal of the grievances and ensure that justice is not denied.

They also demanded setting up of an FSL in Nagaland.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

The three organisations said despite their earlier representations dated April 11, no concrete action has been taken till date regarding declaration of the names of the culprits/accused persons involved in the case and early submission of the FSL report.

The pendency of the FSL report and withholding of the names is a serious lapse in the investigation and contrary to the principles of justice, the ultimatum read.

Meanwhile, Dimapur police commissionerate, in a release on Monday, said during the course of investigation, the investigating agency gathered sufficient evidence establishing the culpability of the accused.

Accordingly, police said, the accused was arrested on April 10 for the murder, which was committed in a fit of rage while under the influence of alcohol, and he was found prima facie liable under Section 103(1) of the BNS for the offence.

The release said an interim chargesheet had accordingly been filed before the court and a prayer submitted to frame appropriate charges against him on the basis of the material placed on record.
It was further submitted before the court that the report of the FSL from an out-of-state facility is awaited, as the state presently does not have an in-house DNA division/expert.

The police said a supplementary chargesheet will be submitted before the court upon receipt of the FSL report.

Further, the release said under the Victim Compensation Scheme, the Peren District Legal Services Authority processed the case for necessary relief to the minor child of the deceased.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]