Imphal, May 05: In a spine chilling incident three women including a mother and her girl child were shot dead when troops of 14 Assam Rifles dressed in civvies opened fire at Saitu village under Sapermeina police station today at about 11.30 am.

Enraged over the unprecedented killing, villagers gathered and managed to over power one of the jawans and the CO of 14 Assam Rifles was summoned.

Though a process of negotiation has been started, a meeting point could not be reached till late into the evening today.

This reporter who rushed to the scene of the incident was informed by the villagers that the Assam Rifles personnel numbering 6 and attired in civil clothes came to the village in a Gypsy while the villagers were preparing to hold a meeting to elect the representatives to the Saitu-Mamphajol Village Organisation at about 11.30 am.

As soon as the Assam Rifles men reached the spot they opened blank fire, said the villagers forcing the gathered villagers to flee helter skelter.

The security personnel merely did not stop at that but chased the villagers opening blank lire all the while, claimed the villagers and added that the AR men then went up the hillock of Saitu firing in the air.

Two women who were attending to their domestic chores at the upper side of the hillock were shot dead in the indiscriminate firing.

A one year old child was also killed.

The three victims were shot dead even as they took shelter inside a dry ditch over growing with grass.

Giving a blow by blow account of the killing, a 30 year old woman, Nemtinmeng Haokip wife of Doukhomang, who witnessed the sordid killings said that one of the AR men reached the spot where the women were taking cover.

At that moment an elderly villager, Tinshei (70) told the jaw an that all the people there were innocent civilians.

In reply the jawan turned towards him and opened fire.

Fortunately Tinshei escaped unhurt.

Petrified with the firing, one of the women, Zhingkhoneng Haokip who was with her child raised her hands and called out for her husband.

At that precise moment, the jawan turned and opened fire, said Nemtimneng Haokip.

The mother and child were killed instantly while another woman taking cover nearby was also killed.

The 1 year old child who was killed along with her mother is identified as Hoineichang Haokip while the other woman is identified as Lamneithem Haokip (25).Later the AR troops descended from the hillock and proceeded towards their Gypsy and apologised to the villagers stating that a gross mistake has been committed.

The AR men who were in civil clothes also disclosed their identities and said that they belong to the 14 Assam Rifles stationed at Lairou and explained that they had come to the village on receiving information of the presence of militants.

Thereafter the villagers asked some others who had taken cover along with the deceased two women and the child to identify the man who had pulled the trigger.

A large number of women gathered and tried to lay their hands on the accused, but the village elders intervened and instead called for the AR CO to sort out the matter.

At 12.30 pm to the hour the CO of 14 AR, Govinder Singh Bedi arrived at the village and apologised to the people.

The SP of Senapati also arrived at the spot seconds later.

A meeting was held thereafter at the residence of the chief of Saitu village, Paolen Haokip.

Besides the CO, the meeting was attended by chieftains of 31 villages of the surrounding areas and representatives of Saitu-Namphajol Village Organisation.

During the meeting the villagers demanded Rs 1 lakh each for the deceased persons and compensations as per the customary laws of the village.

Capital punishment for the main culprit in the killing was also demanded.

After hearing the demands of the villagers, the CO said that the AR authority will not be able to meet the monetary demands of the aggrieved villagers but instead offered whatever was feasible from the side of the force.

He also assured to help out in other matters too.

Development projects were also some of the offers made by the CO to soothe the enraged villagers.

However as no consensus could be worked out, the meeting stretched on late into the evening.

Even as the meeting was in progress trouble broke out when some enraged villagers, mainly women, tried to lay their hands on the accused AR jawan who was inside the AR Gypsy.

To bring the situation under control, the AR men dispersed the women raining blows on them with lathis.

The bodies of the three victims have been brought to RIMS morgue late this evening by Sapermeina police.

Meanwhile, the KSO, has strongly condemned the killing of the three women.

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