Dimapur, April 28 (MExN): The assault of three minors by the Assam Rifles (AR) in Kiphire town has led to a “burn down” situation in Kiphire town.
Earlier in the evening, around 6pm Sunday, seven jawans from the 7 AR in a gypsy, on “routine daily frisking”, assaulted three children aged 9-13 years with sticks and boot kicks in main Kiphire town. The children were returning from a trip to the local river.
On hearing news of this, youngsters from all colonies of Kiphire town, around 7.30pm, numbering thousands, landed up at the main police point looking for the AR jawans who assaulted the children. By this time, according to reports received, the jawans had fled the town, having taken the Tuensang road.
When the DC of Kiphire, Kesonyu Yhome IAS, was reported of the incident, he informed that the incident will be discussed the next day and “necessary action” will be taken against the erring jawans. He invited all public tribal leaders and affected persons to his office on Monday.
Ignoring the message, the crowds reached the Assam Rifles camp in Kiphire, some 1.5kms away from the police point, which shares its boundary wall with the DC’s residence. Here, the crowd burnt down one gypsy, and started pelting stones at both the AR camp and the DC’s residence. In retaliation, the DC’s house guards opened fire, with some rounds of blank firing having occurred. Simultaneously, the Assam Rifles also opened fire on the crowd leading to the injury of four (4) youths, two of whom are in critical condition while two are out of danger. In the meantime, the crowd caught hold of one AR jawan who was beaten up badly and is in a serious condition. All five are in the Kiphire civil hospital.
By 10.30pm, information received suggested that angry crowds had burnt down five vehicles of the DC, pelted stones and then burnt the DC’s residence down. The DC is reported to have taken shelter elsewhere.
For the past 2-3 months, the Assam Rifles has been heavily frisking people, aggressively checking phones, personal diaries, wallets etc. The public has been angry with the AR for a while for doing this every night during peace time—this evening’s anger is an outpour of this,” said a resident of Kiphire town.
