AIZAWL:
The tense situation at Dholai in Assam’s Cachar district, following protests over the deaths of K Robin Singh and Nripen Singh, has been de-escalated, with normalcy returning in the district on February 11. Nripen was reportedly cremated at 1:00 pm in Dholai on Friday.
Referring to the situation, a senior police official from Vairengte, along the Mizoram-Assam border, said, “There is no blockade and vehicular traffic along the Silchar-Aizawl Road has resumed.”
Residents of Dholai protested over the deaths of K Robin and Nripen, both residents of Dholai, in Mizoram on January 31 and February 9, respectively. Nripen committed suicide while in judicial custody. Family members of Nripen alleged “foul play” behind Robin’s murder, claiming that he was innocent and demanded a fair probe.
The two deceased men were truck drivers. Nripen hit K Robin with a dao inside their vehicle near Buichali Bridge under Sairang. Upon receiving information, Sairang police rushed to the spot.
K Robin was found unconscious inside the house of one Pu Bikash with severe injuries on his head because of the assault and later succumbed to his injuries on the way to Civil Hospital, Aizawl. Meanwhile, Nripen fled to an unknown location, only to return and confess before the police.
As per the official statement released on February 10, Nripen admitted to the crime and said that he killed K Robin, following a drunken brawl, with Robin insulting him in “Mizo and Meitei language” and refused to pay money for his meal on their way, which “became unbearable” for Nripen.
The accused (Nripen) was then taken into judicial custody after a thorough investigation and recording of his statement. He was lodged at 7 Ward ‘D’ where he allegedly hit two co-inmates again with a brick on February 2.
While they were admitted to the hospital, Nripen was shifted to the ‘Punishment Cell – B’ meant for “exclusive single lodging”. On February 9, he committed suicide using his gamocha with the other end tied to the ventilation bar of the cell.
First-class judicial magistrate of Aizawl judicial district conducted inquest over the dead body on the spot and found no external injury on the dead body. Even though the first postmortem was conducted at Aizawl Civil Hospital, a second one was done at Silchar.