Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 05, 2009:
General secretary (finance) of MPP Yumnam Khemchand, who was arrested by the police in connection with a shooting incident, has been remanded to police custody till September 7. Rejecting the charges levelled against Khemchand, party president Dr Nimaichand Luwang has asserted the FIR case filed against Khemchand was baseless and politically motivated.
A resident of Yumnam Leikai Yumjao Lairembi Sanglen Maning and son of late Kalachand, 49-year old Khemchand, who is also in charge of secretary organisation (City district), was arrested by Singjamei police from his house at around 3 pm yesterday.
Police have framed charges against him under Section 307 of IPC, (attempt to murder) read along with Section 25 (1-B) Arms Act and 20 UA (P) A Act.
According to police report, 3/4 unidentified armed persons suspected to be UG cadres opened fire 3 to 4 rounds in and around Singjamei Parking in the night of September 3 with the intention of causing death, injuries or creating panic and Khemchand was arrested in connection with this incident.
One point 32 pistol (RP-107473), three live rounds of ammunition and one gun license (1799/IW) have been recovered from his possession.
Khemchand was produced before a duty magistrate of Imphal late evening today.
The prosecutor had sought permission for grant of five days police custody but the court granted only three days.
Meanwhile, talking to mediapersons at the party office here late evening today, MPP president Dr Nimaichand Luwang refuted the charges levelled against Khemchand as baseless and politically motivated.
Dr Nimaichand said that on the night of September 3, Khemchand attended a meeting of the party's youth front at Singjamei Leishangthem Leikai.
While returning home after the meeting, the occupants of a vehicle which was already there stationing near Singjamei Parking and occupants of another following behind shouted at him.
In such a situation, to protect himself, Khemchand made some rounds of blank firing and later returned home.
At around 10.20 am of the following day, Khemchand had gone to Singjamei Police in response to a summon but he was detained, Dr Nimaichand contended.
Explaining that the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that Khemchand had filed as petitioner in the Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench against the imposition of curfew by the State Government in the aftermath of the July 23 Khwairamband Bazar had been done with the permission of the party, Dr Nimaichand said that the arrest of Khemchand is an attempt to threaten MPP from carrying on its agitation against the Khwairamband Bazar incident.
Senior party leader and former Union Minister Thounaojam Chaoba, who was also present at the occasion, observed that the arrest and subsequent detention of Khemchand is only adding up the responsibility of the party.
Equating it to the detention of arrested activists of the Apunba Lup under NSA, Chaoba said such anti-people policies of the State Government are strongly condemnable.