DIMAPUR, Dec 15 - Business activities in Dimapur came to a halt from 8 am to 12 noon, while the Nagaland Hotels and Restaurants Association and Nyamo Lotha Road Business Association enforced voluntary bandh the whole day today in protest against the killing of a prominent businesswoman of Dimapur town.
The business community, led by the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries directed closure of shops in Dimapur district from 8 am to 12 noon to express its outrage and condemnation at the murder.
Ritika Mehta, proprietor of Apna Hotel, Nyamo Lotha Road located in the heart of Dimapur town, was shot at by two armed miscreants while she was at the hotel counter attending to some customers at around 6.30 pm yesterday. The bullet entered the lower side of the right jaw and exited through the neck, spilling blood all over the hotel floor. She succumbed to her injuries while being taken to hospital.
The personal bodyguard of the victim and a visitor present at the hotel during the incident chased after the two killers, but they managed to escape towards New Market under the cover of darkness and taking advantage of the crowd outside.
Some miscreants had earlier made an attempt on her life on November 13 last but she escaped unhurt.
After last month�s incident, Dimapur Police had offered her an armed security personnel and she used to move around with the security personnel. Sources said that at the time of the incident, the bodyguard was inside the hotel but was unarmed as directed by Ritika.
A bullet head of a .32 calibre was recovered from the spot, police said.
Inquiry is on to find out if there were any lapses on the part of the bodyguard and action deem fit to be initiated. A case is registered with East Police Station, Dimapur in this connection.
The Nyamo Lotha Road Business Association has expressed shock at the killing of Ritika Mehta. Condemning the killing in the strongest possible terms, it appealed to the law enforcing agencies to nab criminals at the earliest and take necessary steps to award them befitting punishment as per the law of the land.
The Nagaland Medicine Dealers� Association has also condemned the killing. In protest against the killing, the association closed down all pharmacies in Dimapur from 8 am to 12 noon today.
