MU students take on rogue cop
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 13 2011:
A police Sub-Inspector who reportedly bullied Manipur University students inside their hostel was over-powered by the students and kept hostage last night.
Incidentally the SI is a former student of Manipur University.
Based on a report filed by the MU authority, an FIR was registered at Singjamei police station and the police officer has been suspended.
A police team led by SI Pouzianlung, posted at Sangshak police station in Ukhrul district came to MU Men's Hostel No 3 in a white coloured bullet-proof Gypsy at around 9.40 pm yesterday.
As the police team tried to enter the hostel's recreation hall, the Home Guard personnel on duty raised objections.
This led to some heated arguments and students from the adjacent rooms came out.
The inebriated SI turned to the students and assaulted them.
The next moment, a large number of students rushed out and overpowered Pouzianlung though the other personnel managed to flee.
The infuriated students thrashed the police officer and locked him up in a room.
The students then smashed the Gypsy of the policemen and turned it upside down.
The students also found liquor inside the Gypsy which did not have any identification number which was defiance of the Home Department's order which made it compulsory for all police vehicles to carry certain numbers identifying their units.
Sating that this was not the first time of harassing students by armed security personnel inside the university campus, the students blamed the MU authority for their failure to protect the rights of students.
On learning about MU students holding a police officer hostage, Students Welfare Dean Th Ratankumar came to the scene and tried to pacify the enraged mob of students.
Soon a police team led by Imphal West Additional SP Th Herojit arrived there.
However, the students refused to hand over the SI till the wee hours today.
The Dean assured the students that maximum efforts would be put in turn all their demands into action.
Termination of the accused SI and barring entry of security forces into students' hostels were the principal demands of aggrieved students.
Later, the SI was formally arrested by Singjamei Police and produced before a relevant Court which remanded Pouzianlung to police custody for two days.
Meanwhile, AMSU.
MSF, DESAM, KSA, SWAK and SUK have strongly condemned the intrusion by security personnel in Manipur University and the assault on innocent students last night.
Remarking that yesterday's incident was a manifestation of the sheer undiscipline on the part of police personnel, the students bodies asserted that the incident was a direct challenge to the student community.
They also lauded student hostellers of Manipur University for bravely taking on the rogue police personnel and teaching them a befitting lesson.