Arunachal boy death: Protest called off after police assure action

New Delhi: The students from Northeast India have called-off their protest against Arunachal youth Nido Taniam's alleged murder after meeting the Joint CP and DCP South of the Delhi Police. The protesters submitted a memorandum listing three demands, following which the police assured that action will be taken.

The 21-year-old Arunachal student lost his life after allegedly being beaten in South Delhi by two men. The police are beginning to piece together the sequence of events only now. Sources have told CNN-IBN that after the quarrel broke out, the police received a call at 1:55 pm. Sources say by the time the police reached the spot, Nido had already paid Rs 7,000 to the sweet shop owner for breaking a glass pane and that both parties had compromised. 

Police sources say the police helped Nido talk to his mother in Arunachal Pradesh and got him in touch with local guardians. Police say he was fine as he left for home. 

The Delhi Police has assured of quick action and said that the viscera report will be ready within a week. "Delhi Police will do everything legally doable. Viscera report will be ready within a week. Three people have been detained. The SC/ST act has also been added to the FIR," Robin Hibbu, Joint CP, Delhi Police said.

Close to 1,000 students were protesting against his alleged beating since Saturday morning. Their demand was that the policemen involved be suspended and the accused arrested. So far three people have been arrested.

A delegation from the North East also met BJP leader Harsh Vardhan asking for support. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had held a protest march in Lajpat Nagar. The BJP, in turn, has has accused the Delhi government of apathy, saying they've not even sent a representative to meet the boy's family. "Delhi Chief Minister, Home Minister and Prime Minister should look into the death of the Arunachal. I will write a letter to the PM and Home Minister and hope that such incidents against the North East Community are not repeated," Harsh Vardhan said. The Congress, too, is planning a protest in the city.

In the wake of the incident, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yet again hit out at the Delhi Police saying that there is no accountability for them. Delhi is the national capital and people come here from across the country. "We condemn the incident and Delhi is the national capital. People come here from across the country. We hope strong action is taken against the culprits," he said.

Delhi Police denied reports that it dropped the young Arunachal student back at a sweet shop in south Delhi where he had earlier been beaten up and said that they handed over Nido Taniam to his uncle.

Nido Taniam, the son of a Congress MLA in Arunachal Pradesh, was found dead inside his room on Thursday. He had allegedly been beaten up by workers at a sweet shop in Lajpat Nagar on Wednesday after he broke a window pane there for allegedly being mocked over his hair.

Eyewitnesses and Taniam's friends had claimed that the police, after taking Rs 10,000 from Taniam to pay for the damages, dropped him back at the shop where he was beaten up again. "This was done after a written compromise between the boy and the shopkeepers was reached," they said. 

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