Imphal, January 11 2009: RESIDENTS OF SAMUROU in Imphal west district today staged a sit-in protest against turning the village into a 'killing field'.

The residents alleged that the suspected People's United Liberation Front (PULF) activist killed by a combined force of police commandos and troops of 12 Maratha Light Infantry at Samurou village last night around 8.30 was not an encounter but shooting him to death after bring him there from other place.

A police report, mention may be made, had said that the activist was killed in an encounter and claimed recovery of a 9 mm pistol loaded with three live rounds and a hand grenade from the spot where the encounter took place.

Contrary to the claim made by the police, residents of the area said that the youth was shot dead by the security forces after bringing there by them last night.

Citing that in pass also security forces had done the same thing there, local residents carried out a sit-in protest at locality commencing from around 11 am with slogans not to turn out their place to be a killing field.

The protesters said that they want to live peacefully while expressing condemnation to the security force breaking the peace of the area and causing panicky to them.

"Stop killing people in fake encounter," they said.