3 members of family, including 2 minors, murdered in Nagaland

Three members of a family, including two minors, were allegedly murdered in Niuland district of Nagaland, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, Ashatul (35) and his two children — 12-year-old daughter and six-year-old son — were allegedly murdered by his brother Abdul Gofur on Monday.

The accused, after committing the crime, surrendered to the village council along with the weapons used in the crime.

The motive behind the triple murder was not known, and the accused had been taken into police custody for further investigation, they said.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old woman was found murdered in mysterious circumstances near her residence at Old Ministers’ Hill in Kohima on Sunday.

The victim, a well-known basketball player, was reportedly last seen the previous night.

Police registered a case of murder and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the crime. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW) taking suo-motu cognisance and various civil bodies condemning the brutal act.

In another incident, two men from Aoching village were killed in a suspected hit-and-run case along NH-702B near Longleng during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Sources said the victims were returning home when they were hit by an unidentified vehicle.

The incident triggered protests in the area as villagers demanded swift justice and accountability.

The Phom People’s Council, an apex tribal, and its frontal organisations on Monday jointly organised a mass rally of solidarity in connection with the incident.

The civil society organisations and the general public have collectively resolved to restrict the movement of all heavy vehicles and army/military convoys along the route until the case is resolved and justice is delivered.