North East Support Centre & Helpline, New Delhi

info@nehelpline.net www.nehelpline.net

 

Press Statement

Racial Attack on Four North East Boys in Pune

Pune Police Commissioner Appealed

 

 

New Delhi, June 8, 2009

 

Four North East Indian boys belonging to Naga tribes faced racial attacked in Pune on June 21, 2009. Four of them got injuries on body while one suffers severely with five stitches on forehead.

 

North East Support Centre & Helpline appealed to Dr. Abraham Mathai – Vice Chairman of Maharashtra State Minority Commission this evening and assured to speak to the concerned police official to look into the matter.

 

According to the sources reaching to North East Support Centre & Helpline, the incident happened on June 21 at around 11.15 PM at Salisbury Park, Pune, when two Naga students were returning home, two local men came on bike abused them with vulgar remarks e.g. Nepalis and chinkies. Both the students objected to the vulgar remarks and told them, “We are Indians.” After five minutes they brought 10 to 15 friends and beaten them severely with sticks. When alarm was made, two other Naga students living nearby came out to help the victims, who were also beaten severely by the mobs.

 

The police has not taken any action to trace the culprits after registering the case next day.  North East Support Centre & Helpline also appealed the Commissioner of Police, Pune, Dr. Satyapal Singh to trace the culprits. Commissioner Police is also requested to include SC/ST Prevention of Atrocity Act 1995 in FIR as the victims are from Scheduled Tribe communities. The text of the memorandum faxed to the Commissioner of Police, Pune is enclosed below.

 

June 8, 2009

 

Dr. Satyapal Singh

The Commissioner Of Police

2,Sadhu Vaswani Road,

Camp, Pune-411001

Maharashtra

Fax No: 020-26128105

 

Ref:   FIR 645109 U/s 323 and 504 of IPC at Swargate Police Station under the Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP).

 

Sir,

 

North East Support Centre & Helpline, New Delhi has received a complaint from The President of Naga Students’ Union, Pune that four students belonging to their communities were attacked by some local people on June 21, 2009 at around 11.15 PM at Salisbury Park, Pune. The case is reported of being registered under Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP).

 

Four of the students were severely beaten and one injured badly and had to admit in the hospital and got five stitches on forehead.

 

It is reported that police has not taken any further step to nap the culprits and the students from North East Indian states are living fear of any such attack in future.

 

I on behalf of the victims would like to request your good office to kindly look into the matter and proper action may be taken on those committed the crimes.

 

It may also be notified to your kind knowledge that four of the Naga students belong to Scheduled Tribe communities, therefore, sections of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocity Act 1995 may also be included in FIR.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Mr. Madhu Chandra

Spokes Person

 

North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states.

 

Release by

 

 

Mr. Madhu Chandra

Spokes Person