Farmers mortgage fields to pay police
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 08 2011:
Many fish farmers and cultivators at Wabagai area of Thoubal district are facing hardships due to frequent call ups by police commandos in the name of indentifying UGs.
Many of them have mortgaged their fish farms and paddy fields reportedly to bribe the police commandos to spare them from arrest, villagers charged.
According to them, 13 farmers were picked up by Thoubal Police Commandos on the charge of being linked with UG elements or giving them shelter.
On release from police custody another police team would arrive after a few days to arrest them again.
Police commandos took ' 2000 to ' 5000 from each of them for one release, they alleged.
To meet the money paid to police commandos who repeatedly come to their homes, some farmers have even mortgaged their farms, they added.
The villagers claimed that the 13 farmers are all innocent people earning their livelihood through their fish farms and paddy fields.
Some of them have to appear at the police station once every week because of cases pending against them.
Police had registered cases against them for giving shelter to UGs.
The act of the police commandos has created an unrest in the mind of the farmers of the area and their families.
To discuss the developing situation in the village, Meira Paibis and local leaders have started mobilizing villagers for holding a public meeting, villagers informed.