GUWAHATI: An undertrial prisoner was “brutally” beaten to death in Nagaland and the authorities placed under suspension five jail officials, including an assistant jailor, and terminated the services of 12 temporary staffs.
The victim, Yanbemo Mozhui, was arrested earlier in connection with an incident of assault on security guards at a bank branch in Bhandari town of Wokha district.
The incident, which took place at Wokha sub-jail on December 26, has shaken the state’s prison establishment. A case has been registered and an investigation is on.
The state’s Director General of Prisons, Toshitsungba Aier, appointed superintendent of Zunheboto jail K Kushito Awomi as inquiry officer and jailor of Peren district jail Imlinungba as presenting officer to probe the case. In an order issued on December 27, the authorities asked the probe team to submit its report within 15 days.
All the 17 persons, against whom action was taken, were allegedly involved in the incident. The victim was subjected to the assault following an incident of jailbreak on December 23.
A prisoner had made good his escape from the sub-jail on December 23 but only to be nabbed two days later. During his interrogation, he had allegedly told the jail officials that the victim had helped him escape.
Meanwhile, social media users are going hammer and tongs at the jail officials over the “brutal” killing. Shocking photos of the assault on the victim have gone viral on the various social networking sites.