Arunachal boy death: cops await autopsy report

It will take at least one more week for the police to reach a conclusion in the probe into the death of Nido Taniam, the teenager who was was allegedly beaten to death in Delhi after an argument with a shopkeeper who made fun of his hairstyle.

It will take at least one more week for the police to reach a conclusion in the probe into the death of Nido Taniam, also spelt as Tania.

Taniam, 19, was allegedly beaten to death in Lajpat Nagar on Wednesday after an argument with a shopkeeper who made fun of the hairstyle of the teenager from Arunachal Pradesh.

Protests continued in the city with groups of people from the northeast and local Delhiites coming out to demand justice for the teen at Raj Ghat and Jantar Mantar.

Read: Boss, do you need a passport to enter the northeast?

According to a police officer, the actual cause of Taniam’s death could be ascertained only after his autopsy and viscera reports come out. While the autopsy report is expected on Monday or Tuesday, the viscera report will not be available before Friday, sources said.

Students from the northeastern states and supporters hold placards as they protest against racism and death of northeastern student Nido Tania in New Delhi. (AFP Photo)

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been roped in to conduct forensic tests on Taniam’s viscera sample collected during his autopsy on Friday.

Till Saturday, the Lajpat Nagar police detained three people who were involved in the attack on Taniam. Two of them were identified as Farman and his friend Akhtar. None of them have been placed under arrest and police said that they cannot arrest them until it is clear that Taniam died due to the physical assault.

Read: Facebook page on Taniam a big hit, has 47,000 likes

“We have registered a case of murder and have added section 3 and 10 of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities act in the FIR. Before booking anybody in the murder case, we have to be sure about the accused’s role in the death. We cannot arrest anybody without a concrete proof,” said a police officer. He said they will released the detainees as they cannot be kept under custody beyond 24 hours -- the maximum time for which a person can be kept under police detention.

Read: One arrested for racist attack on northeast women

People from northeastern states at a candle light vigil in New Delhi to protest against racism and beating up and killing of a student – Nido Tania – in Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Taniam’s friends and family have alleged that he was beaten twice by the group of accused and the second round of beating took place in the presence of the police. They have also alleged that police officers made Taniam pay Rs 7,000 to Farman as compensation for the damage of his glass counter which was allegedly broken by Taniam during the argument.

Police, however, have been refuting the allegation by claiming that they have enough evidence to prove that Taniam was fine when he left for his sister’s house in Green Park after the incident.

Edit: Ignorance about NE is breeding discrimination

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