Making of an open and shut case : Cooking up desperate formulae
- Sangai Express Editorial :: June 03, 2013 -

Protest at Malviya Nagar Police Station, New Delhi on Mysterious death of Reingamphy Awungshi on May 31 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Shijagurumayum

An open and shut case.

This is the message that Delhi police seem to be trying to convey.

Effectively closing all other angles or avenues of investigation by dubbing the death of Reingamphy Awungshi as a case of suicide.

A case of all circumstantial evidences pointing to suicide or a case of sheer indifference or a blatant act of trying to cover up the case ?

Questions that need to be raised in the face of the adamant stand taken by Malviya Nagar Police Station to register the FIR in the death of the young girl under Section 306 (suicide).

So many unanswered questions as of today and while Reingamphy Awungshi is certainly not in the position to say how she passed away, the spirit behind the spontaneous protest raised in Delhi by the North East community needs to be seen in its correct perspectives.

Any unnatural death of a young girl living alone, far away from home is bound to raise suspicion and certainly Reingamphy’s death is unnatural.

A certain degree of callousness on the part of Delhi police in trying to brush aside the death as a suicide case is unmistakable and herein lies the question over the professionalism of the men in uniform in the Nation’s capital.

On what basis did Delhi police come to the conclusion or tried to conclude that it was a case of suicide ?

What is the rationale of registering the FIR under Section 306 with the addendum that additional section(s) will be further added ?

Making the case more complex or to continue to stick to the suicide theory and just close it ? Rodents, drugs, male visitor.

Sounds like a desperate formula cooked up by fertile minds to put the onus of the death on the young girl, rather than getting down to the business of dealing with the case.

Such ‘information’ coming from the media based in Delhi comes uncomfortably close to the border of insinuating.

More like raising posers over the character of a young girl who is not in the position to defend herself. It is early days yet and while no one should jump the gun, it is important to view the voice of protest against this backdrop.

It may have been the politician in her speaking, but it is nevertheless significant to note the observation of Dr Kiran Walia, Minister of Health, Women and Family Welfare of the Government of Delhi.

Difficult to believe that it is a case of suicide, and no this is not The Sangai Express giving this opinion but Ms Kiran Walia and many others too seem to share her observation.

If the young girl could have committed suicide, then the same yardstick should also apply to the other possibilities, such as she was raped and murdered.

In abruptly trying to pass off the death as a suicide case, the suspicion that the cops are trying to cover up the death can only get stronger and why not ?

Professionalism has never been one of the stronger points of the men in khakis, more so when it comes to cases involving people from the North East in the Nation’s capital.

This is not rhetoric.

Not surprisingly the State Government has remained mute and is obviously blind and deaf to the voice of protest that is ringing out on the streets of Delhi.

So far, at least till June 2, 2013, there is no report of even one of the three MPs from Manipur visiting the relatives and friends of the late girl or even taking up the matter with the police station concerned.

The indifference rings out loud and clear.

Reingamphy could have passed away due to any factor or reason, but this is no reason why callousness on the part of the investigating body should be taken lightly or tolerated.

Treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves. So far there is nothing to suggest this and this is what rankles.