'JCB' operator found dead: excavator torched
KSO condemns torching of NHIDCL's excavator, warns of blockade from midnight of nov 9
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 08 2022:
An excavator (JCB) operator from Chingai village in Ukhrul district was found hanging from a tree inside a jungle as family members suspected that the heavy machinery operator could have been killed by his colleagues.
The deceased JCB operator has been identified as Yarnam Haorei (21), son of Ngasonmi Haorei of Chingai village, Ukhrul.
Meanwhile, two colleagues of Yarnam Haorei have been picked up by police in connection with the death of Yarnam Haorei.
They are identified as tipper driver Ranjit Chaula (48) of Golaghat, Assam, who is married a woman of Tusom village, and Yepe (26) of Jessami, who is said to be the handyman of the tipper truck driven by Ranjit.
Suspicious of JCB driver's death, Yarnam's father Ngasonmi told media persons that his son had informed family through phone about being tortured by his colleagues Ranjit and Yepe before he died.
Ngasonmi said that his son's corpse was found hanging from a tree in a jungle located around 1.5km from Sorapung junction after he went missing.
The cloth used in hanging Yarnam was given by his mother and Yarnam's hands were found touching the ground, Ngasonmi said and strongly alleged that his son was killed with a conspiracy.
He also said that Yarnam's body will not be claimed until culprits involved in the killing are booked and given punishment as per law.
According to Ngasonmi, his son worked as a JCB operator at a stone crusher unit operated by a contractor named Mingthing Horam at New Tusom while Ranjit and Yepe are driver and handyman respectively of a tipper truck of the stone crusher.
"On Saturday last, my son along with Ranjit and Yepe came to Mingthing Horam's house at New Tusom but one tyre of the tipper truck got punctured at Sorapung junction of Jessami road.
Both Ranjit and Yepe asked my son to repair the punctured tyre but he declined and the duo began to torture my son after a heated argument," Ngasonmi said, recounting what his son had told family through phone before he died.
"After that my son's mobile phone remained switched off and his body was found hanging from a tree in a jungle on Sunday," Ngasonmi added.
Meanwhile, post mortem of Yarnam Haorei's body was conducted on Tuesday at JNIMS morgue.
Meanwhile, Kuki Students' Organisation, Moltam Block, strongly condemned torching of an excavator belonging to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) on Monday afternoon along the National Highway 37 (Imphal-Jiribam) road and warned of an indefinite blockade along the highway from November 9 midnight if the perpetrators are not booked within 24 hours.
The students' body stated that some unidentified armed group suspected to be cadres of the NSCN-IM set ablaze an excavator belonging to the NHIDCL between Bijang village and Thanglongbung village along the National Highway 37 under New Keithelmanbi Police Station in Kangpokpi district on Monday around 6:30 pm.
A team of KSO Moltam Block on learning about the incident immediately rushed to the site and shockingly came to know that some armed group along with sophisticated weapons threatened the drivers and labourers and set the excavator ablaze at gun-point, it added.
It also stated that the armed miscreants also left two bullet shells along with a note where a mobile number 9362591819 was written on it.
The KSO also condemned the repeated threats meted out to the NHIDCL and creating fear psychosis amongst the general public.
While strongly condemning the alleged barbaric act, KSO, Moltam Block also wondered as to how these armed groups are let loose and free to commit such an uncivilized and barbaric act and appealed to the state's machinery and authorities concerned to book the culprits within 24 hours.
It then warned that if the perpetrators are not booked within the stipulated time, they will be compelled to impose an indefinite blockade along the National Highway 37 (Imphal-Jiribam) road from midnight of November 9 till the culprits are booked.
The students' body also appealed to the public to maintain peace and harmony in the area.