Former US diplomat and wife assaulted

EMN DIMAPUR, JANUARY 15 A former US diplomat and his Naga wife were assaulted by two unidentified Naga men on the evening of January 14 along National Highway 29, not far from Diphupar of Dimapur district. They were reportedly punched in the face and kicked. The incident took place during the intervening hours of 6:00 PM and 7:00PM. The perpetrators have been identified only as an auto rickshaw driver and his ‘friend’and are locals from a particular Naga community. The victims filed an FIR yesterday with the Diphupar police station. But it has been learned that the case has been handed over to the Dimapur Women Police cell. A statement has been given to the police as well. Superintendent of Dimapur Police VZ Angami was unavailable to comment owing to ill health at the time of filing this news report. The couple were returning from Pfutsero carrying household construction materials when an auto-rickshaw overtook their Tata Mobile SUV, and blocked their path. When the auto did not move at all, they blew the horn. The driver (in this case the former diplomat) alighted to enquire as to why the latter had blocked his path. The auto rickshaw driver allegedly jumped out and assaulted him. The foreigner also reacted which saw the “friend “ of the auto driver come to the assistance of his friend. Both of them together attacked the foreigner. The wife told Eastern Mirror that she tried to break up the assault when she was also punched in the face and kicked by the second accused. “He (driver’s accomplice) punched me in the jaw, and tried to kick me which I thwarted” she said A passing police patrol is said to have broken up the fisticuff. In Diphupar police station, the accused are said to have claimed that the fracas started when the American couple’s truck ‘smashed’ into the auto rickshaw and so on. However, the police and the people who checked their claims found nothing amiss on the vehicles, which were intact and untouched. “We took pictures of both vehicles at the police station itself to document in case anyone’s claims,” the source said. Talking to this newspaper, the American said he was comfortable in Nagaland and he had no reason to be concerned the way he would have been if he was working in war conflict areas such as Iraq or Afghanistan. “My concern, and I am a security consultant all over the Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan, parts of Asia and Iraq, and just the behavior or maneuver of the vehicle (auto rickshaw) and all that indicate a more serious crime. If I was in afghan, we would have come out with guns whether it is someone who wants to kick you or rob you. I was very comfortable here,” he said. Police did not divulge details about the accused or the progress of the “investigations”. The former diplomat has served in India, Yemen and the United Arab.