Bandh to protest lynching paralyses life in Barak Valley

A 12-hour bandh, called to protest against the lynching of the rape accused in Nagaland, paralysed normal life today in three districts of Barak Valley, district officials said.
The lynched Syed Farid Khan was, meanwhile, buried in Karimganj's Bosla village amidst tight security this morning, Karimganj Deputy Commissioner Sanjiv Gohain Boruah said.
The bandh was called by several political, social and business organisations. All shops and market places were closed and vehicluar traffic remained off the road, official reports from the districts said.
The day being a Sunday, all schools and educational institutions, offices and banks were closed.
There was, however, no report of any untoward incident from the three districts -- Karimganj, Cachar and Hailakandi of the Valley, officials said.

Security was tight in Karimganj district as Khan, who owned a motor parts shop in Dimapur in Nagaland, hailed from the district.

Khan's body was airlifted to Karimganj last evening after Nagaland authorities handed over his body to the Dimapur Muslim Council.
The burial was held this morning amidst tight security and a huge turnout was reported with former Minister and Karimganj (South) MLA Siddeque Ahmed attending.
Khan had been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in Dimapur on February 24 and remanded to judicial custody in the Dimapur Central Jail the next day.
On March 5, a mob broke into the jail, dragged him out, stripped him naked, beat him up, pelted him with stones and dragged him behind a motor cycle with a rope tied around his waist for seven kms towards the centre of Dimapur town when he died from his injuries along the way. The mob then hung his body at a clock tower.