Mon, 27 September (MTNews): Nagaland Director General of Police (DGP), Rupin Sharma, during a press conference on Wednesday, 27 September, addressed the speculations surrounding the tragic incident involving two youths from Assam who were found dead in Mon district, Nagaland. During the press conference in Kohima, DGP Sharma emphatically stated that there was no foul play involved, and that there has been no attempt to withhold information.
“There is no secret about what happened. It was a very unfortunate accident in which two lives were lost,” the DGP asserted.
On Monday, 25 September, the Mon police recovered the lifeless bodies of two individuals from Assam, identified as Latil Nowholia and Utpal Tassa. The tragic incident occurred on the Mon-Naginimora road in Mon district. Both victims hailed from the Sonari area in Assam.
According to the police, it was reported that the duo had arrived on 22 September in a pickup truck to deliver materials. Concerns arose when they failed to return home and could not be reached, prompting family members to alert the authorities. Subsequently, an extensive search operation was launched, leading to the discovery of the bodies and their vehicle, located approximately 100 feet below the road on Monday morning.
While the initial suspicion pointed to an accident, law enforcement officials stated that a thorough investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the tragic incident.
However, initial reports had suggested that the duo were found dead ‘under mysterious circumstances,’ with suspected ‘foul play’ leading to heightened tension at the Assam-Nagaland border in Sonari town, Charaideo district of Assam. Local residents took to the streets, alleging foul play.
DGP Sharma addressed the preliminary objection raised from the Assam side, which centered on the absence of a post-mortem examination, fueling suspicions of foul play. Clarifying the matter, the DGP explained that, according to the doctors present, the incident was a clear case of an accident and nothing more. “The doctors in Mon indicated that the cause of death was evident due to severe head injuries, which were extensive. Therefore, a regular post-mortem was not conducted,” he said.
Sharma, however, emphasized that, even at this stage, nothing prevents the Assam Police, government, or the people from conducting a post-mortem if they deem it necessary.
In response to the tense situation that has emerged in Sonari, Charaideo district of Assam, Deputy Commissioner of Mon, Ajit Kumar Verma IAS, issued a precautionary notification on 26 September. This notification advised vehicles involved in public transport and related activities to temporarily avoid the route from Mon district to Assam/Dimapur and vice-versa via Sonari, Charaideo, Assam, until normalcy returns. Additionally, it recommended that individual/private vehicles planning to travel via Sonari, Charaideo, Assam route consider alternative routes until the situation stabilizes.