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Deaths of students unites N-E groups

In solidarity
Last Updated 01 May 2012, 20:17 IST

The Bangalore Rural police have filed a case of murder against two students, Vishal Banerjee and Syed Afzal Ali, in connection with the death of their college mate, Richard Loitam, following a sustained campaign from the north-east community in the City.

The north-eastern community in Bangalore and New Delhi has mobilised strongly over the deaths of Loitam who was from Manipur and Dana Sangma, a girl student from Meghalaya, in Delhi. Dana, a niece of Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and a student of Amity University, reportedly committed suicide in her hostel room after she was allegedly caught cheating in exam.

Campaigners seeking justice for the two have been holding demonstrations over the past week, claiming that students from the North-East were racially profiled in colleges and received unfair treatment from police and authorities.

The police, who claimed on Monday that they were yet to arrive at a conclusion whether Loitam’s death was murder or due to injuries sustained in an accident, filed a case under Section 302 against the two students who reportedly had a scuffle with Loitam on the night of April 17. Loitam died the next day.

Addressing the media on Monday, D Prakash, Bangalore Rural SP, said Loitam met with an accident on the night of April 15 when he was riding his friend Vishal Banerjee’s two-wheeler.

He was treated in hospital for injuries sustained on his face and head. On the night of April 17, Banerjee had a brawl with Loitam. Syed Afzal Ali, a senior MBA student, intervened and allegedly punched Loitam in his face many times. The next day, Loitam’s classmate Sourabh noticed Loitam bleeding from his nose and mouth. Later, Loitam was declared dead.

Prakash said the police would act against the two students on the basis of the final forensic reports that would establish the cause of the death.

In New Delhi, the National Students’ Union of India, along with students from various faculties on the Amity University campus, demonstrated on Tuesday against the university administration and police for not taking action against those,  they alleged, were responsible for the suicide of Dana Sangma.

They said invigilator Supereo Ghatak, who expelled Dana from the exam hall, had threatened “to finish her career”. Dana. Later, in the room of examination controller R K Dhingra, she was tagged with the words “flop show,” driving her to suicide.

Maina Shera, daughter of the Meghalaya chief minister and a cousin of Dana Sangma, said a candle-light vigil would be held at Delhi’s India Gate for Dana on Wednesday. Maina, a student of Delhi’s Shri Ram College, said the students would agitate until the truth came out.

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(Published 01 May 2012, 13:39 IST)

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