A report sent by the Nagaland government to the Home ministry has said that charges of rape against Syed Sarif Khan, who was lynched by a mob in Dimapur, were not established conclusively and medical reports are still awaited.
The report on the incident of alleged rape of a girl in Dimapur and the subsequent incidents of riot and lynching of one of the accused said that medical examination of Khan and alleged rape victim had been conducted after the incident of was reported.
Forensic evidences collected from the alleged rape victim and Khan have been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati for obtaining expert opinion, the report said.
"Meanwhile, inquiry was also made at Hotel De Oriental Dream (where accused Khan had taken the victim as per her statement) and CCTV footage were collected with necessary documents," the report said.
Interestingly, the report said that a local Naga youth was allegedly involved in helping Khan in the incident and he was too arrested and sent to Dimapur central jail along with Khan.
However, the mob did not touch the Naga youth when Khan was dragged out of the prison on March 5 and lynched.
The Nagaland government has conveyed that 63 police personnel were injured in the incident and 13 police vehicles were either damaged or burnt. 35 civilians received injuries of whom one civilian succumbed to bullet injuries.
The accused, Syed Sarif Khan was arrested for raping a woman in Dimapur on February 24 and remanded in judicial custody the following day.
On March 5, a mob broke into Dimapur Central Jail, dragged him out, stripped him naked, beat him up, pelted him with stones and dragged him towards the centre of Dimapur town, seven kilometres away. He died from his injuries on the way after which the mob displayed his body from a clock tower.
Image: Members of All Assam Muslim Yuba Parishad-S protest against the mob lynching of a rape accused in Dimapur, Nagaland. Photograph: PTI
