Imphal: The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights-South (NPMHR-S) has written to the chief minister of Karnataka in a strong worded form demanding to book the culprits immediately in connection with the murder of Loitam Richard of Imphal.
The Naga rights body also said that the Acharya NRV School of Architecture in Bangalore and its officials be held accountable for its role in hindering and impeding the case.
In a fuming memorandum dispatched to Karnataka chief minister D.V Sadananda Gowda, the Naga rights body asks,” Had Loitam Richard not been from the North East India region would his hostel mates attack and assault him and its officials taken up in a more seriois maner?”
It has angered and reinforced the sense of injustice among people from the North East India who are being racially discriminated and harassed on a daily basis in metro cities to which Banguluru is no excception, the Naga rights group said.
The memorandum of the NPMHR-south sector demanded that a special investigative task force be set up to inquire into the death of Richard, and the guilty be brought to book immediately.
The NPMHR while citing the fishy activities of the institute where Loitam Richard was studying, said that the institute and its officials instead of taking responsibility in identifying the culprits, is hindering and impeding the case by tainting Loitam Richard as a drug abuser and blaming his death on head injuries he allegedly sustained in a two wheeler accident.
“It is important to mention the doctors there treated him as outpatient.
Had there been suspicion of serious injuries whatsoever, doctors would have surely advised and followed up with the righhtful tests and medical investigations as treatment protocol requires.”
The absence of any such advise and the fact that Richard was let off after a routine procedure was indicative enough that he was fine and therefore blaming his death in the accident was clearly done to mislead the investigation of the case.
“The mala fide action of the institute and its officials to mislead and obstruct and obstruct the course of justice is highly questionable.
It suggests complicity on the part of the institute and its officials in the commission of the crime,” the Naga rights body pointed out in its message to the Chief Minister. (NNN)