Nagaland: DUCCF drops FIR after divider repair assurance

Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) has withdrawn the FIR it had lodged in connection with damage to public property after the apprehended individual assured that the damaged road divider would be repaired at his own expense.
Speaking to media persons at the accident site, DUCCF vice president Tongzuk Pongen said the incident occurred on February 15 at around 12:20 am, when a vehicle rammed into and damaged a road divider at Tajen Ao Road in Dimapur.
Condemning the act, he said DUCCF lodged an FIR with the police later the same day. Following the complaint, police apprehended the individual within 12 hours.
Pongen said that after meeting the person involved, DUCCF decided to withdraw the FIR only after receiving assurance that the damaged divider would be repaired at his own cost.
Clarifying the federation’s stand, he stated that the FIR was withdrawn without any pressure and solely on the basis of the assurance given by the individual concerned. However, he added that the matter had now been left to the Dimapur Traffic Police, and any further action would be taken strictly under traffic rules and regulations.
Pongen asserted that maintenance and protection of public property was not merely a moral obligation but also a constitutional duty. He warned that DUCCF would not hesitate to lodge FIRs against any individual found damaging public assets in future.
When asked for details of the vehicle involved, Pongen informed that the divider was damaged by a government-registered vehicle bearing registration number NL-10C-1024, which was reportedly being driven by the son of a government officer. He added that since DUCCF is a pressure group, the federation would leave it to the concerned department to take appropriate action against the officer, if deemed necessary.
Pongen further reiterated that DUCCF would continue to raise its voice against vandalism and damage to public property, asserting that no compromise would be made in future cases.
Meanwhile, DUCCF general secretary Bokato Wotsa said that as federation members were not present at the spot during the incident, they were initially unaware of the exact sequence of events or the reason the driver fled the scene. However, he said subsequent inquiry revealed that the accident occurred while the officer’s son was dropping his friends.
Wotsa opined that the driver’s young age may have prompted him to flee out of fear, while affirming that no injuries were reported in the incident.
Expressing concern over the alleged misuse of official resources, Wotsa questioned why a government-registered vehicle was being driven by the son of an officer. He added that government officials must exercise greater responsibility and caution in such matters.