Rowdy cops assault Hueiyen Lanpao Staff
Cops Crack Staffer's Scalp Even After Self-identification; Suffers Head Injuries
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 17 2015: Rowdy Manipur Police commandos numbering around seven, brutally assaulted Willar Leimapokpam, a staff member of Hueiyen Lanpao Group of Publications, at 8:51 pm on Monday night right at the gate of its office.

The incident occurred when Willar rushed out of Hueiyen Lanpao office on hearing that one of his cousins and a friend was cornered by the commandos when they came to pick him up from his work.

The police commandos apparently came in a Bishnupur Commando gypsy.

As Willar came out of the office and saw his cousin and another friend, who were both media/press persons, physically intimidated and thrashed, Willar too identified himself as a media person.

Rowdy cops assault Hueiyen Lanpao Staff

Despite his plea to the merciless commandos to leave his cousin and his friend and repeatedly identifying himself that he was a Hueiyen Lanpao staffer, the commandos turned on him and he was thrashed black and blue.

All this while, Willar was holding his Identity Card.

The police assault left him with head injuries.

He sustained head injuries but was not taken immediately to the hospital.

Instead, he was taken to Imphal Police Station.

As soon as Hueiyen Lanpao learned that he had been lodged in Imphal Police Station, a team from this daily rushed there to inquire about his whereabouts.

Hueiyen Lanpao team along with members of All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) and some senior police officials also rushed to the hospital to further inquire about his condition.

Willar was finally admitted to Raj Medicity Hospital where he was kept in the emergency ward for observation and given medical aid.

Since, the medical staff found out that his scalp was cracked due to the impact of the assault, he had to undergo stitches.

The doctors attending him recommended a CT Scan and the result of the scan was not known till the filing of this story.

Even if some of the senior police officers agreed with the fact that the commandos were applying force unrequited for such kind of incident, what the media persons present there at both the hospital and the Imphal Police Station could not fathom was why the commandos had to resort to such brutal act when the Hueiyen Lanpao staffer identified himself.

It has been emphasized more than once that the police forces were under tremendous pressures due to the nature of the intensified ILPS demand agitation.

However, this fact can be no excuse for the unnecessary police brutality against the press.