DIMAPUR, JANUARY 17 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today stated that the government had “deliberately failed” to protect Late Ritika Mehta, who was killed by a gunman on December 14.
“Late Ritika Mehta was a lawful abiding subject of Nagaland State and a citizen of India. She was a humble and peaceful entrepreneur. She had registered complains of intimidation and threat with the State Government as well as with the Ceasefire Monitoring Chairman. Thus, both the Centre and State Governments were in the know of the danger,” said a press note from the NPCC President, K Therie.
Stating that failure to prevent murder is gross negligence, the NPCC said that failure to arrest the culprit(s) “despite of CCTV evidences even after one month is not only incompetence but also suspicious.”
Expressing sadness at the “laxity” of the State Government and the Central Government’s “apathy toward the people of Nagaland,” the NPCC demanded that the government pay compensation and swing into action to arrest the culprit(s) immediately and deliver justice within a framework of time.
“Nagaland State Government is not lesser than any other State Government, but today, we have a lesser State Government unlike other State Governments,” the NPCC said. It added that there is “a feeling of fear and insecurity, especially amongst the minority communities living in Nagaland. Freedom is under duress in Nagaland.”
In 2015 alone, the NPCC said that five non-Nagas “who are most peaceful subjects of Nagaland and from business communities, were murdered.” “We have seen in some cases that the Government has condemned but justice has been denied. We have not come across any life sentence, death sentence nor any compensation, despite the nearly daily murders, assassinations and killings.”
Reminding that public order (law and order) lies in the State list (List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India) and is within the sovereign authority of the State Government, the NPCC said it is the duty of the State Government to provide safety and security to life and property of its subject.
