Jessami still tense, PS ransacked
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 20 2012:
Tension continues to grip Jessami village on the Manipur-Nagaland border, with the incensed villagers ransacking the police station today at about 4 pm following the refusal of the personnel to provide the villagers security in recovering their goods which were left on the fields within the boundary of Manipur.
Efforts to contact the State Home Minister Gaikhangam drew blank as calls made from the office of The Sangai Express were not entertained.
An SMS message to the Home Minister was also not returned.
According to reports received here, the Jessami villagers went on the rampage when their plea for security to retrieve their goods was turned down on the ground that there were only 20 VDF personnel and 7 policemen, which were inadequate.
The villagers said that they were told that they can go to retrieve their goods only with the permission of the DC or the SP of Ukhrul.
When The Sangai Express contacted the State police DGP, R Baral this evening, the officer said that the SP of Ukhrul district is already at Jessami.
The DGP said that the SP, accompanied by some Tangkhul leaders of Ukhrul reached the village shortly after the police station was ransacked.
On the steps taken up, the DGP said that he had a talk with his Nagaland counterpart today itself and added that the situation should be effectively dealt with by the civil authority.
The villagers were advised not to proceed to collect their goods as it had the potential to aggravate the tense situation, he said and added that the matter has been apprised to the Chief Secretary.
The villagers alleged that till date, after six of them were abducted and assaulted by armed men from Melourie village in Nagaland, not a single high ranking Government official has visited the place to take stock of the situation.
The IRB men who were stationed there earlier have been withdrawn without assigning any reasons, they contended.