Court orders cops to stop harassing tea stall
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 22 2022:
Manipur High Court has issued an interim order preventing the police, mentioned as a respondent in a petition concerning a tea stall located along the roadside of Kwakeithel Thiyam Leikai, from making any disturbance or harassing the stall owner until the next hearing of the case.
The writ petition filed by one Khangjarakpam Joymala Devi and mentioning the State of Manipur & 3 others, was heard in the court of Justice MV Muralidaran on Thursday.
According to the case dossier, the petitioner had opened a tea stall on the side of the road at Kwakeithel Thiyam Leikai, which was her family 's source of livelihood for many years.
In March this year, some police personnel informed that the stall can no longer be opened after 9.30 pm onwards without giving any valid reason.
After this, the police harassed her every day and forced her to close the stall at 9.30 pm and at times, even driving away the customers.
On a particular day, the OC of Lamphel PS came to the stall and informed her to close the stall at 9.30 pm.
After this, personnel from Kwakeithel Police Outpost came to the stall everyday and continued the harassment, including taking pictures of the closed stall.
The personnel, before leaving the spot, also hurled verbal insults on daily basis, thereby causing huge mental distress to the petitioner and her family.
On December 12, the petitioner went to Lamphel PS and enquired the OC regarding the exact reason for the forced closure of the stall.
The OC responded that one Leitanthem Angou had filed a complaint against the tea stall and as per instructions from the higher authority, the tea stall was to be closed from 9.30 pm onwards every day.
After listening to the submissions of both counsels, the court fixed the next hearing of the case on February 7,2023.It also issued an interim order preventing the police from disturbing the petitioner and harassing her to close the stall at 9.30pm, until the next hearing of the case.