Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 19 2009:
Following the widespread hue and cry, 11-year old Bidyarani, who had been picked by security forces as her parents could not bee arrested, was released after five days in the custody of Mayang Imphal Police Station last night.
After spending the night along with her grandmother at a relative's place in Phoubakchao, Bidyarani was brought to her Nongmaikhong Mayai Leikai residence at around 2.30 pm today.
A student of class VI in Emmanuel Grace Academy, Nongmaikhong, Bidyarani was reportedly picked up from her house by a combined force of Imphal West Police Commandos and personnel of 12 Maratha Light Infantry in the morning of August 14 .
The combined force had come looking for her father, Salam Dewan (35) and mother Salam Ongbi Memocha Devi (30) .
When the security personnel threatened her to tell the whereabouts of her parents, Bidyarani reportedly fainted and the security personnel took her into the custody of Mayang Imphal Police on the pretext of taking her to the hospital.
When the local Meira Paibis approached the Mayang Imphal police station to hand over the child, the police reportedly told them to bring the parents of the child for securing her release.
Since the morning of August 14, security personnel had been occupying the house of Bidyarani.
They had also allegedly ransacked the granary, almirah and dug up the floor.
Along with formation of a JAC, infuriated local people had even brought the matter to the notice of the Governor through a memorandum yesterday.
The JAC had also addressed the media at the Manipur Press Club, yesterday and it was only then that the report about the child being detained in police custody came to the notice of the public.
When Bidyarani was brought home today, local womenfolk broke down on seeing the condition of the young girl who appeared to be lost.
According to local residents, Dewan and Memocha are the most hard working couple in the area and said that they cannot accept the charges of the police that they have nexus with UGs.