NEW DELHI: An Arunachal Pradesh MLA’s son died here after he was allegedly beaten up by some shopkeepers following an altercation sparked by their taunts on his hairstyle, in yet another incident of targeting of people from the north-east.
Police registered a case of murder in connection with the death of Nido Tania, son of Congress MLA and Parliamentary Secretary in Health and Family Welfare Department, Nido Pavitra, yesterday as the incident sparked a furor with allegations of discrimination against people from the region.
Two shopkeepers were arrested in the case as police faced flak for alleged inaction. Delhi government also recommended a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
The relatives of the youth, who was a BA first year student at a private university, alleged that he had an altercation with some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi on Wednesday after they made fun of his hairstyle, following which they allegedly thrashed him.
Police had reached the spot and brokered compromise after which Tania returned to his Safdarjung home with his friends.
However, he did not wake up in the morning. When his friends took him to AIIMS, he was declared brought dead.
Police said they were waiting for the viscera report while two shopkeepers identified as Farhan and Akram have been arrested.
The initial post-mortem has not revealed “much injury or aberration”. His viscera samples have been preserved to zero in on the cause of death, police said.
“On Wednesday, they had a fight. However they reached a compromise soon after that. There was not much injury. Then on Thursday he was brought dead to AIIMS following which we were informed. Post-Mortem was conducted today.
“It didn’t show much injury or aberrations. Internally, there were some changes in viscera, and for this the viscera has been preserved and its chemical report is being expedited. Meanwhile, we have registered a case under Section 302. Further investigations are on,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) P Karunakaran told reporters here today.
According to Avinash Mishra, Chief Resident Commissioner, Arunchal Pradesh Bhavan, the incident took place on Wednesday when Tania along with a friend had gone to Lajpat Nagar market to locate a friend’s address.
“He asked for directions at one of the shops there. Some workers of the shop started making fun of his blond hair. He asked them not to laugh at him but they didn’t budge. In a fit of rage, he perhaps hit the shop’s counter breaking its glass,” he said.
After this, a scuffle ensued during which he was thrashed by seven-eight people with sticks. He was badly injured as seen in some of the pictures clicked by his friends, Mishra said.
“Following the commotion, police arrived on the spot which got a settlement done. The boy even gave Rs 7000 for the damaged counter. Police then called his uncle, Vinod, and asked him to take Tania with him. Some of his friends arrived on the spot and took him with them,” he said.
They went to a medical store in Safdarjung where they took a tetanus injection and went to his home in Safdarjung.
He even took a cup of coffee before retiring to bed.
His friends say that he slept at 1 AM and even got up once.
“However, he didn’t wake up in the morning. He was taken to AIIMS, where he was declared dead,” Mishra said. -PTI
