MLA's son dies after being thrashed by shopkeepers

New Delhi: An Arunachal Pradesh MLA's son died here after he was allegedly beaten up by some shopkeepers following an altercation sparked by their taunts on his hairstyle, in yet another incident of targeting of people from the north-east.

Nido Tanian, son of Congress MLA and Parliamentary Secretary in Health and Family Welfare Department, Nido Pavitra, died yesterday, police said.

His relatives alleged that he had an altercation with some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi on Wednesday after they made fun of his hairstyle, following which they allegedly thrashed him.

Some locals intervened and the quarrel was stopped after which Tanian came back home. However, his condition suddenly deteriorated on Thursday after which he died under suspicious circumstances, his relatives claimed.

"His post mortem has been carried out in AIIMS. The cause of death would be clear only after the autopsy report. There was some altercation he had on Wednesday, we are investigating the case," a senior police official said. A youth claiming to be his cousin told a TV channel, "This is surely about racism. Everybody in Delhi discriminates against us based on our looks. We are living in India, but we don't know whether we are actually living in India or not, every time we are discriminated against.

His family has been informed," he said. According to Avinash Mishra, Chief Resident Commissioner, Arunchal Pradesh Bhavan, the incident took place on Wednesday when Tanian along with a friend had gone to Lajpat Nagar market to locate a friend's address. "He asked for directions for at one of the shops there. Some workers of the shop started making fun of his blonde hair. He asked them not to laugh at him but they didn't budge. In a fit of rage, he perhaps hit the shop's counter breaking its glass," he said.