The situation in Dimapur, Nagaland’s commercial hub, is slowly returning to normalcy following the lynching of a rape accused, with Section 144 CrPC continuing to be in force in the town.

Additional Director of Police, Akito Sema said besides the continuation of section 144 CrPC, the administration has deployed 11 companies of Indian Reserve Battalion and three companies of Central Reserve Police Force to maintain law and order.

Vehicles were seen plying in depleted numbers and people were seen on the streets.

However, as a preemptive measure, major commercial establishments remained shut, police said.

No person has been arrested yet in relation to the March 5 violence in which the rape accused was dragged naked out of Central jail in Dimapur by a mob to the main town and beaten to death.

Sema said police are under the process of registering cases against those responsible for lynching the rape accused and arson in the town.

“There are sufficient video clippings police can access. So it will not be difficult for us to book the culprits,” he said, adding “Section 144 CrPC will continue until the situation improves. We will do everything possible to stop any escalation.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International India demanded that the incident of lynching of the rape accused in Nagaland must be investigated and members of the mob should be brought to justice.

“This is a serious lapse in the criminal justice system and the Nagaland government must ensure that every person who was part of the mob is brought to justice,” Amnesty International India Programmes Director Shemeer Babu said.

“Failure to do so will send the message that anyone can commit outrageous abuses and attempt to justify them as an expression of public anger. Nagaland authorities must uphold the rule of law. Violence against women needs to be tackled with swift and effective responses from the state, not with barbarism by self-appointed vigilantes.”

Image: Security personnel at the site after the mob dragged out the rape accused out of Dimapur district jail and lynched him. Photograph: PTI photo