Racial tagging and the mysterious death of Reingamphy Awungshi

Dr. Malem Ningthouja *

Reingamphy Awungshi

Notwithstanding extreme summer heat, many from the Northeast residing in Delhi had taken onto the street, and spent atleast 24 hours at the Malvia Nagar Police Station protesting 'racial tagging’ after death of a migrant 'worker' Miss Reingamphy Awungshi and demanding justice.

Miss Reingamphy Awungshi (26) (15-07- 1987 to 29-05-2013), daughter of AS Chihanpam of Chuithui village, Ukhrul district (Manipur), who had worked in a spa company was found death under mysterious condition on 29th May 2013 at her rented room, 424, ground B-Block, Chirag Delhi. Reingamphy was found lying dead on a pool of blood with multiple injuries; while her nose was bitten off and her leg bore big cut mark, her eyelids scratched, and eyes bleeding. The police had taken over the body, her mobile phone, photo albums, cloths and mattress and etc into their custody.

Many were infuriated by the suicide theory of the police. What about the wounds? Police concluded they were posthumous and caused by rodents. They had not even lodged an FIR 24 hours after. The suicide theory restricted the scope of post mortem in the AIIMS. It had also caused tampering of evidences to be found on the body. The suicide version was widely circulated by the media. The police had also tampered evidences in the room. The police apathy was coupled with racial prejudice as pointed out by Binalakshmi Nepram "We have been told by the SHO, Vijay Pal, that these girls from northeast work in SPA and that's why these incidents take place."

Relatives and friends of Reingamphy suspected rape and murder but the police were covering up crime. They suspected the brother-in-law of the landlord who had made frequent approach to waive off rent and intimation with Reingamphy to gain her acquaintance despite her disapproval. The landlord had first noticed Reingamphy lying suspiciously when he had peeped through the ventilator above the door. He had alarmed the police who subsequently broke open the front door.

Though the room was locked from the front door, the backdoor of the room was found to be opened. Anyone could have gained entry from the backdoor of the room of the Reingamphy that was connected to the adjacent room of the landlord. The room was also vertically connected to the rooms on the first floor. These rooms are accessible to one another by scaling the iron grilled wall.

It was this cumulative police apathy that brought hundreds of northeast students and others for a protest on the day after the incident – first at the AIIMS, where the post mortem was conducted and the victim's relatives refused to receive the body, and later the Malviya Nagar police station where they asked police to lodge an FIR under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They spent the night there and on 31st May afternoon.

But the police lodged an FIR under Section IPC 306 (abetment of suicide). The FIR was in complete disregard of the preliminary post-mortem report, which did not mention the cause of her death. Protest continued till the evening of 1st June when ACP SS Gill conveyed that an FIR No 253/13 PS Malvia Nagar was lodged with added section of IPC 302. Re-post mortem and handling of the case to CBI, if required was ensured. On 3rd and 4th many had waited for post mortem report only to be informed again that the causes of death had not been fully established.

In the meanwhile threat warnings by the locals such as "if any of the local boys were investigated/picked up by the police then those from the North East living in that area would face consequences" were intimated to those who took part in the candle light vigil on 1st protestors. Finally the mortal remain of Reingamphy was flown to Imphal on 6th June.

The incident and the protest once again reignited memories of humiliation over the mysterious deaths of Richard Loitam, Dana Sangma and the racial assaults that led to the mass exodus from Bangalore in 2012. It also increased the apprehension about racial vulnerability of the vast chunk of the Northeast migrant students and 'workers', particularly women, who are clubbed in various rented pockets in the NCT.

It is also apparent from this case that the May 10, 2012 home ministry advisory on racial discrimination and profiling of the northeast peoples in the metros seems to have been ignored by the law enforcing agencies at the ground level. The MPs from Manipur and the Government of Manipur seems to feign ignorant about the issue and they chose to remain silent.