Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 11:
A legal notice has been served to the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 19th Rajput Regiment regarding the seizure of a licensed SBML gun without any seizure memo by personnel of the 19th Rajput Regiment based at Hengkot village during an operation on 20th October 2004 at Hengkot village, under Singngat subdivision.
The seized arms have not been returned to the owner till date.
In the notice served to the CO by H.Nengsong, Advocate on behalf of his client, Thangso Kuki of Teikot village, Nengsong stated that while four licensed guns were taken away from the village on the day during a search operation which was done after an exchange of fire between suspected militants and the army, three were returned to the owners after requests were made for the same while the fourth gun, bearing license number 3245, belonging to Thangso Kuki was not returned till date.
The notice said that the act of the security personnel was against the law of the land and rights of citizens as no seizure memo or any other written documents pertaining to the act was given to the owners.
The notice prayed for the release and return of the gun to the owner within 30 days from the date the date of issue of the legal notice, 9 February, failing which legal measures would be taken up under the law to recover the same, it said.
Another source added today that the army had also taken away all the khukris, knifes and other iron-made agricultural instruments from the village and the villagers were left with nothing for their agricultural operations.