Police fire tear gas shells to disperse bandh supporters
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 06, 2012: Police today resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse bandh supporters of the Imphal Yairipok Road called by the JAC against the killing of Sagolshem Jiten from last mid night.

The JAC maintained that Sagolshem Jiten Alias Mikoi (31) of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai, who was killed by a combined team of Imphal West and Imphal East CDOs on the night of January 26 at Yaralpat near Mega School, was an innocent civilian.

Enraged over the killing of Jiten, members of the JAC and large number of public came out to the street today in support of the bandh and blocked the Imphal-Yairipok Road with trees, rocks, broken glasses and burning tyres since early morning.

Shops down their shutters at Kongba Keithel in support of the bandh.

Commuters were blocked along the road stretch and made to return by the bandh supporters.

On receiving information about the road blockade, Irilbung and Porompat Police rushed in and dispersed the bandh supporters.

However, the bandh supporters gathered again in the noon and re-imposed road block.

In order to disperse the bandh supporters, police resorted to firing tear gas shells.

At least three tear gas shells were fired and two bandh supporters were detained by the police.

The two persons were identified as Sapam Punilkanta (27) and Laishram Malemnganba (23) both residents of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai.

Among them, Malemnganba was the son of late Jiten's elder sister.

After sometime, locals of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai came out again and blocked the road at the area demanding unconditional release of the two youths.

They came towards the police team and attacked them with stone and catapults.

As the situation began to go out of control, police personnel began to fire smoke bombs and tear gas shells and dispersed them by chasing even.

Even though no one was injured in the incident, roofs of two houses were damaged by the tear gas shells.

Police are keeping a vigil at the area under Porompat OC Tejbir to prevent further unwanted incidents.

Meanwhile, a local woman of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai who was present at the site told reporters that it is the nature of state police to kill an innocent civilian.

She alsodenounced their act of dispersing the peaceful bandh supporters by firing smoke bombs and tear gas shells.

Everybody is aware of the excessive nature of the state police.

Condemning the act of the police which resulted in the destruction of two houses, she said that they will never stop their agitation until and unless the government punished the involved CDO personnel.

Comment