As the lynching of a rape accused after being dragged out of Dimapur's central jail sparked outrage, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today held central security forces responsible for the incident and demanded safety measures for people of his state residing in Nagaland.
"The security in the jail was under central security forces who failed to stop the lynching. It is the Centre which is responsible for ensuring security of the inmates," Gogoi said outside the state assembly where Opposition members demanded steps for ensuring safety of Assamese people.
Meanwhile the body of Syed Farid Khan, who was beaten to death by the mob on March 5, was brought to his native Bosla village in Badarpur of Assam's Karimganj district.
His family claimed that he was framed in the case and the girl was known to them and had demanded some money from Khan.
The deceased's brother also denied reports that they are Bangladeshi nationals saying his late father was in the army and his two other brothers are jawans in the force.
A high alert has been sounded throughout Assam to prevent any untoward incident and to ensure the safety and security of Naga people in Assam in the aftermath of the incident.
The Nagaland government has kept paramilitary forces on standby to instill a sense of security among non-Naga communities of the state but there was no flag march.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang and asked him to ensure safety and security of people and take steps to maintain law and order. He also told Zeliang that strictest action should be taken against those involved in the lynching of Khan.
Singh also assured all central help to Nagaland.
Gogoi had written to Singh and Zeliang seeking security measures to people of his state.
In his letter to Singh, he wrote, "Attacks on people of a particular community, especially to those belonging to minority, can have widespread repercussion in Assam, which has a huge population of Muslims."
Zeliang responded to Gogoi's letter yesterday assuring him of all possible steps to ensure safety and security of people from Assam living in Nagaland.
Yesterday the Nagaland Cabinet suspended Deputy Commissioner Wezope Kenye, SP Meren Jamir and B. Chuba Phom, Senior Superintendent of Central Jail, for "their failure to control the situation".
Khan had been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in Dimapur on February 24 and remanded in judicial custody in the Dimapur Central Jail the following day.
On March 5, the mob broke into the jail, dragged him out, stripped him naked, beat him up, pelted him with stones and dragged him towards the centre of Dimapur town, seven km away.
He died of his injuries along the way after which the mob dragged the body to a clock tower and displayed it.
The girl, meanwhile, claimed before a TV channel that the accused gave her money to remain silent about the incident.
