1 killed in police firing on mob which lynched rape accused, 3 officials suspended

Dimapur, March 6: Three senior officials of Dimapur, including the SP and the Central jail chief, were suspended today, a day after a rape suspect was dragged out of the prison and lynched by a mob in this Nagaland town where the situation was stated to be tense but under control.

One person, who was among the five injured in police firing on the mob, succumbed today, police said. Neighbouring Assam was put on high alert by the Centre following the incident in Dimapur as the rape accused Farid Khan is believed to be from that state.

Khan had allegedly raped a Naga woman several times before he was arrested on February 25. Infuriated by the alleged rape, the mob had forced its way into the Central jail on Thursday, pulled Khan out before lynching him.

Karai Chawang, Press Officer to Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeilang, told PTI on phone from Kohima that a meeting of the state cabinet decided to suspend the district collector, SP and SP, Central Jail, for "their failure to control the situation."

The meeting also decided to arrest all those involved in pulling the rape suspect out of the prison on Thursday, parading him naked and lynching him, he said. Chawang identified the deceased rape suspect as Farid Khan.

One person was injured in police firing on the mob and he later succumbed to his injuries, Meren Jamir, Superintendent of Police of Dimapur, said earlier, adding in all four to five people had sustained injuries in the action. He said curfew remained in force in Dimapur where the situation was "under control."

Jamir said police could not prevent the mob attack on the jail as the securitymen were vastly outnumbered and there were several school children in the mob. Asked to comment on reports that the rape accused was a Bangladeshi immigrant, Jamir said "I cannot tell you anything on that now and it is a matter of investigation."

PTI