Nido Taniam who died on Thursday after he was allegedly beaten by shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar.
The Delhi High Court today sought a report from the Centre, the state government and the police on Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam's death after a fight with shopkeepers last week.
"Delhi is the country's capital. How can such incidents happen in the capital? We need to educate the people of Delhi to make it a better place," observed a division bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, taking up the case suo motu.
Nido, 20, the son of an Arunachal Pradesh legislator, died on Thursday after he was allegedly beaten by shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi. A medical report is today expected to help establish the cause of his death.
Nido's friends have alleged that he was attacked by a group of men on Wednesday, after he reacted angrily to alleged racist comments at a confectionery shop where he had stopped to ask for directions.
After Nido broke a glass display window, the men allegedly thrashed him. The police reportedly took the student and his friends away and brokered a compromise in which Nido agreed to compensate the shop for the damage.
His father, Nido Pavitra, said he had told him the police returned him to the same spot and he was again beaten severely. Nido was found dead on his bed next morning in a room where he was staying. His family alleges that he had complained of pain and he died of internal injuries due to the beating.
Nido's post-mortem said he had some internal and external injuries, but couldn't confirm whether these led to his death. Today, a toxicology report is expected to give more clarity.
The incident has sparked anger among students and others from India's northeast, who have been protesting since last week.
Today, the Congress-backed students' union NSUI has organized a protest at the Delhi University to demand justice for Nido. They have planned a protest march through the campus.