Guwahati, May 27: The Nagaland government has submitted an affidavit before Gauhati High Court detailing steps taken by it in connection with the lynching of a rape accused by a mob that broke into Dimapur Central Jail on March 5.
The affidavit was submitted in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Rajeeb Kalita seeking a CBI probe into the incident.
The Nagaland government's affidavit was placed before a division bench of Chief Justice (acting) K. Sreedhar Rao and Justice Prasanta Kumar Saikia during the hearing of the PIL today. It stated that 56 people, suspected to be involved in storming of the jail and lynching of accused Sayed Sarif Khan, have been arrested so far and a judicial inquiry has been instituted to find out the causes and circumstances leading to the incident and fix responsibilities for the lapses, if any.
A letter written by the Nagaland government to the CBI requesting it to take over the investigation of three cases, registered by the state police in connection with the March 5 incident, was also appended with the affidavit.
These three cases are number 36/15 registered at Dimapur Diphupar police station, number 37/15 registered at Dimapur East police station and number 33/15 registered at Dimapur West police station.
In the letter to the CBI, it was mentioned that photographs and video clips of the incident were collected and an album of suspects have been created. It further stated that a lookout notice for 32 people has been published in local dailies by the police.
"What we have learnt from the affidavit is that till date there has been no response from the CBI to the letter written by the Nagaland government," the petitioner's counsel, Bhaskar Dev Konwar, said.
The affidavit stated that immediately after the incident the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and a senior superintendent of Dimapur Central Jail were placed under suspension and further action will be taken after the report of the judicial inquiry is submitted.
The affidavit described the demand made in the PIL for shifting of non-Naga prisoners to neighbouring jails in Assam as "unjustified" and "far-fetched".