Imphal, December 04, 2008: Claiming that some police commando personnel were involved in the killing of Konsam Rishikanta of the Imphal Free Press, the proscribed UNLF noted that it is hard to expect the CBI to bring justice by exposing the involvement of police commandos.

A statement issued by the outfit's senior publicity officer Ksh Yoiheiba observed that exposing the involvement of State force in the killing of a journalist would mean a serious moral defeat for India in front of the international community, particularly international media.

Yoiheiba observed that the killing of Rishikanta on November 17 was a direct threat to the media community of Manipur and a big challenge to the Manipuri society.

Alleging that the area around the second home of Sangai at Langol where Rishikanta was found shot dead has been already turned into a killing field by combined forces of police commandos and other security forces by staging fake encounters, the outfit asserted that there are many circumstantial evidences to establish the identities of the those involved in the killing.

It further noted that all entry and exit points to/from the Langol Sangai second home is manned by police and IRB personnel round the clock.

The stoic silence of the State Govt led by O Ibobi in the face of the protracted suspension of newspaper publication and news broadcasting only made it clearer that some commando personnel were involved in the killing of Rishikanta, alleged the outfit.

The strong protest movement launched by media persons of the State against the alleged excesses committed by security forces should be supported by all the people.

This is a question of life and death for all the people, it asserted.

Observing that suspension of newspaper publication for 13 days was unprecedented in the history of Manipur, the outfit alleged that it was a manifestation of a brutal side of the Govt of India which has been subjugating the people of Manipur all these years.