Crime branch to probe Manipur woman's death

The probe into the mysterious death of a 21-year-old woman in south Delhi was transferred to the crime branch after over 500 students from the north-east protested outside Malviya Nagar police station on Saturday.

Reingamphy Awungshi, a native of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, who worked with a multi-national company in Gurgaon, was found dead in her rented house on Wednesday.

Students from north-eastern states have been protesting outside Malviya Nagar police station and the office of the deputy commissioner of police (south) B S Jaiswal in Hauz Khas, citing police inaction in the case.

Athot, president of a north-east students’ union, said there was a deep injury mark on Reingamphy’s body, but police were trying to hush up the matter by trying to pass off a murder as suicide.

Jaiswal said further probe will be conducted by the crime branch.

A panel of three doctors has also been formed to conduct a second post-mortem. The first post-mortem was conducted in AIIMS on Thursday.

The latest development comes after Reingamphy’s family members refused to remove her body from AIIMS mortuary.

Sources said preliminary autopsy report ruled out rape. Prima facie police suspect it to be a case of suicide, and the nature of wounds suggests that a portion of body may have been eaten up by rats.

Police’s assumption is based on empty wrappers of Spasmocip Plus (16 tablets) and Meftal Spas (12 tablets) found in a dustbin in her room.

Reingamphy stayed in the house for about two months with another girl, who had gone home last week. However, Reingamphy’s relatives have not ruled out the involvement of the landlord or his family members, and also denied allegations of suicide by the landlord.

Sources said the landlord’s brother-in-law was trying to get close to her. “Reingamphy had also confided in her cousin about being stalked by a landlord’s relative. The man used to tell Reingamphy not to worry about her rent and would often invite her to his house,” alleged a source.