DIMAPUR, JULY 25 : Three youths from Kevijau colony in Dimapur were on early Monday morning assaulted by four unidentified gunmen – an incident that triggered instant protest even as furious residents of the locality sat themselves on the road that passes through the colony and blocked all vehicular movements for hours.
The assault occurred right at a bylane opposite to the entrance of the Food Corporation of India office, at around 6.30 am on Monday. The gunmen, who came in two vehicles (one of which was registered as a Nagaland government number), also fired two rounds of pistol.
In March this year, the Kevijau council had resolved that it would not allow heavy vehicles to park on the main road within its jurisdiction “as it causes heavy traffic jams which most of the times create serious problem especially for school/college students.” Defaulters, it decided, would be penalized with Rs 500 fine.
Copies of this resolution were made available to the authorities of the Food Corporation of India office as well as the Indian Oil Corporation. The youth of Kevijau colony were tasked by the council to execute this ruling.
So on Monday morning, at around 5 am, three youth from Kevijau were out for a run when they found one of the FCI trucks parked illegally on the main road. The driver was duly warned, and after being reminded of the resolution taken by the council was asked to park somewhere else.
Then the youths proceeded to jog till Nagarjan. After about an hour and a half, they returned to their locality only to find that the truck was still there, with six more trucks parked with it. According to the youths, they seized the keys of all the seven trucks after telling the drivers that they would be returned after a payment of Rs 500 each as penalty.
The youths then agreed to submit the keys to the chairman of Kevijau council, but before that, they decided to have tea first. It was when, after having tea, they were proceeding towards the colony chairman’s residence that one of the truck drivers came with two gunmen.
According to youths, the truck driver simply pointed towards them. Then the two gunmen started assaulting them. Shortly after, two more armed men arrived in another car. They were all manhandled and assaulted physically.
One of the youth was hit on the temple with the butt of the pistol while another youth was hit twice on the back of his head with the pistol butt. Reportedly one of them had a pistol trained right on his back in point blank range. The gunman even pulled the trigger, but somehow, the bullet was not fired. Right after, two shots that were fired missed the legs of another youth my inches.
According to the youths, the gunmen even tried to drag them inside their vehicles. But the commotion, and the sound of gunshots, had attracted the attention of the residents who had gathered at the scene by then.
Reportedly, the gunmen left with the chilling reminder that “we are all residents of Dimapur.” The residents of the locality, furious after learning of the incident, resorted to blocking the road. Most of them were women. They were demanding immediate arrest of the gunmen.
Later, after the intervention of Dimapur district administration the blockade on the road was lifted. But it was agreed that blockade on FCI vehicles would continue till all the culprits involved in the incident were booked.
The Kevijau colony council also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, requesting the authorities to “nab the culprits and give them the most befitting punishment within 7 days.”
Dimapur police could arrest the truck driver Mangal Tamang early in the afternoon. Later, two of the gunmen were also arrested. They have been identified as Honito Chishi and Vinoka Zhimomi. One unlicensed .32 pistol and a Mahindra Bolero were also seized from their possession. A case has been registered in the Sub Urban Police Station and investigation is under progress, police said.
