The Nagaland Government seems to be speaking with a forked tongue on the Dimapur lynching incident. While the State Government has reportedly conveyed to the Centre that the deceased accused Syed Sarif Khan did not rape the girl and the two had consensual sex, the Nagaland DGP ll Doungel categorically denied having made any such mention in the report to the MHA.
MHA sources said the State Government pointed out that Khan had given a statement to the Nagaland police after his arrest on February 24 that he had paid Rs5,000 to the alleged rape victim after they had sex twice. According to the report, Khan had also told police that the girl went with him on her free will and had demanded more money from him after the sexual encounters which he had refused. An FIR for rape was filed soon after, he had claimed.
"It appears on the basis of Khan's confession, that it was not rape but consensual sex," a Home Ministry official quoted the Nagaland Government report as stating. But the DGP expressed shock over the media reports attributing the State Government's report. "I am surprised to see media report where they have quoted the Home Ministry and ruled out rape by Khan," he told The Pioneer. "The prima facie evidence had made it clear that it is a case of rape. However, we have sent some samples for forensic tests and we are yet to receive the forensic reports," he maintained.
Adding more twist to the reports, Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang, who met Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprised him of the situation in his state and the steps taken to ensure peace, said he cannot comment whether the incident was a rape or consensual sex. "We cannot comment on anything because investigation is still on. Neither we are saying it was a rape case nor we are saying it was consensual sex," he said.
Since his arrest on February 24, Khan was in the Dimpaur central jail. On March 5, a mob broke into the jail, dragged him out, stripped him naked, beat him up, pelted him with stones and dragged him towards the centre of Dimapur town, seven kilometres away. He died from his injuries on the way after which the mob displayed his body from a clock tower.
MHA sources said the Nagaland government also said that investigation into the case was still going on and on the basis of medical examination and forensic evidence, the case could be taken forward. The medical examination of Khan and alleged rape victim had been conducted after the incident of was reported.