FIR filed against NSF finance secretary over alleged vandalism

Dimapur, July 2: An FIR has been registered against Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) Finance Secretary Katho P. Awomi over alleged vandalism at Prysm Lounge in Dimapur, even as the Dimapur Restaurant Union clarified that the student body had never sought financial contributions from its members.

Prysm Lounge proprietor Tito Yepthomi lodged the complaint at East Police Station, alleging that Awomi vandalised property inside the establishment on June 30.

Confirming the development, Dimapur Police said a complaint was received on July 1, and an FIR was registered on Wednesday. The case is under investigation, and no arrests have been made so far. Police said the motive behind the alleged vandalism is yet to be established.

The incident gained attention after CCTV footage, purportedly showing Awomi using a baseball bat to smash glassware inside the lounge, began circulating on social media.

The controversy has been further fuelled by a document, said to be a resolution adopted by the Dimapur Restaurant Union on June 28, which proposed that member restaurants voluntarily contribute ₹5,000 each to support the NSF.

However, in a clarification issued on July 1, Yepthomi, who is also president of the Dimapur Restaurant Union, said both the viral video and the circulated resolution had been misinterpreted.

He maintained that the NSF neither demanded nor solicited financial assistance from the Restaurant Union or its members. According to him, the proposal to contribute funds originated solely from members present at the June 28 meeting, who unanimously decided to extend support to the NSF as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation for the Federation’s cause.Yepthomi also appealed to the public and media organisations not to share the video and the resolution in a manner that created the impression that the NSF had demanded money.

The FIR and the subsequent clarification have triggered public debate, with many questioning the apparent contradiction between a police complaint involving an NSF office bearer and the Restaurant Union’s insistence that the student body had not sought financial contributions.

The incident has also reignited discussions in Nagaland over the fine line between voluntary donations to civil society organisations and allegations of forceful collections.

The NSF had not issued any public statement on the FIR at the time of filing this report, while police said investigations into the June 30 incident are continuing.

Also Read: HPC seeks police nod for youth volunteer wing to tackle drug peddling in Harijan Colony

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Meghalaya Govt launches Teacher Training Academy to strengthen school education

Conrad inaugurates PCI centre for capacity building, assures support for phase III