An incident involving two police personnel and a local family has stirred the Mokokchung community. On the evening of July 24, two police personnel allegedly harassed a 6-year-old girl returning from tuition with her 8-year-old sister. This encounter led to a confrontation between the children’s parents and the policemen, which was resolved the same evening.
However, the situation escalated the following day. According to the family, the same policemen, now in uniform, entered their home and assaulted the children’s father, leading to a violent altercation requiring police intervention. The family lodged an FIR at the Mokokchung Police Station, which was later withdrawn at the request of the personnel’s families. The case is now set to be resolved under customary laws.
MT spoke with the victim’s family, who, honoring an agreement with the two police personnel’s families declined to reveal the names and identity of those involved.
According to the victim’s mother, the incident began when their two young daughters were returning home from tuition near the Bambusa restaurant in Arkong Ward. The children encountered two policemen reportedly in a drunken state who allegedly grabbed one daughter’s stomach and shook her, demanding, “Who are you?” The frightened daughters ran home and recounted the incident to their parents.
The parents, along with their daughters, went to the roadside where the children had encountered the policemen. The daughters identified the two policemen, prompting the parents to confront them. After a brief exchange of words, the issue was seemingly resolved.
However, on July 25, around 6:30 pm, the same policemen, now in uniform, entered the family’s house in Arkong Ward without permission and grabbed the father’s neck, asking, “Where is your child?” The officers also threatened both parents, asserting, “We are policemen.” An altercation ensued, drawing neighbors and family members to the scene. The police later arrived, and the involved policemen were taken into custody. The family then filed an FIR.
On July 27, the policemen’s families approached the victim’s family, appealing for the withdrawal of the FIR. “After considering the families’ plea, we decided to withdraw the police case because all of us will go through something or the other, and in God’s name, we compromised by withdrawing the case,” the child’s mother explained. She stressed that the case is not over and will be addressed between the two families according to customary practices.
MT reached out to local police for comment. The police confirmed the incident and stated that it would be resolved between the families as per customary laws. They assured that disciplinary action would be taken against the personnel involved.