Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has promised punishment to the guilty and effective protection to people from the North East and other parts of the country in the national capital.

Strongly condemning the attack on Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said in a statement that New Delhi is the national capital and a diverse and vibrant city, enriched by people from all over the country who have made it their home.

He said that people from other parts of the country like the North East were as much a part of the city as anyone else.

The Prime Minister said it had been affirmed by all political parties in Parliament that every Indian should ensure that fellow countrymen from the North East felt safe and that every part of the country welcomed them.

Dr Singh said while the actual cause of Nido Taniam's death would be known only after the autopsy report was received, the violence which preceded his demise was tragic and shameful.

Nido Taniam, the 20 year-old youth from Arunachal, was attacked last Wednesday at a shop in Lajpat Nagar in South Delhi.

He was beaten up with rods and sticks allegedly by a group of men who ridiculed his appearance .

Students from the Northeast in Delhi have been protesting since Nido's death demanding justice.

Delhi Police said six people had been booked and three of the arrested.