Cop assaults drivers, Govt assures action
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 12 2013:
While drivers ceased plying on the Imphal-Jiribam route to protest alleged assault by a police personnel today, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam has reportedly assured to initiate suitable action against the offender.
According to a statement issued tonight by Manipur drivers' Welfare Association a delegation called on the Deputy CM to lodge complaint against the brutal thrashing of two drivers and an assistant driver at Keithel-manbi area.
Informing that Gaikhangam assured to take up all possible measures for safety of the transport operators as well as pull up the rogue police personnel, the Association appealed to the drivers to relax their agitation and resume service in public interest.
Apart from the drivers' delegation complaining to the Deputy CM that drivers and their assistants face frequent assaults, including from police personnel while servicing on the treacherous Imphal-Jiribam section of the National Highway, and demanding suspension of the guilty personnel involved in today's incident, they also disclosed to Gaikhangam that security personnel stationed at security check posts along the route insist that each truck cough up Rs 300-400 per trip.
The delegation, also comprising of All Manipur Highways Goods Carriers Welfare Organisation, proposed that security check post be opened only at Jiribam and Keithelmanbi.
Meanwhile, an informed source conveyed that a number of truckers were stationed at Keithelmanbi check post awaiting arrival of the security escort party.
Even as the wait ensued some drivers jumped the queue and drove ahead apparently to be close to the escort party, which however failed to show up till about 10 am.
Retaliating against some drivers not conforming with the orderly manner of lining up the vehicles at the check post a police personnel started to cane the transport workers consequently injuring two driver and an assistant, the latter needing hospitalisation.
Even though the escort party arrived belatedly and tried to mollify the agitated the transporters the vehicle operators did not relent from the position and ceased plying for the day.