Youth Collective highlights Heirok violence to CEC
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 23 2021:
The Youth Collective Manipur (YCM) has written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over the 'prospect of free and fair election becoming dimmer in Manipur and pre-poll escalates to homicide' .
In the letter, the YCM said that they are deeply concerned with the escalating pre-poll violence in the run up to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election.
Claiming that a group of masked men are roaming in the night in Heirok AC with lethal weapons, YCM continued that many had fled their homes in fear of reprisal.
One Ningthoujam Rohit was shot dead at his residence in Heirok and in front of his family while his father is undergoing treatment at Raj Medicity, it said and claimed that six persons including Thokchom Putro, brother of sitting Heirok AC MLA are responsible for the killing as per a complaint submitted to Heirok police station.
Saying that no arrest has been made so far regarding the 'homicide', YMC asserted that this is not the first time a police complaint has been lodged on the deteriorating situation in Heirok.
At least half a dozen pre-poll related violence complaints have been lodged at Heirok police station in the last few months, it maintained and accused the police of remaining a mere spectator to the escalating violence and collapse of rule of law.
It further claimed that warring groups of political workers are moving freely in Heirok with high caliber sophisticated weapons.
Expressing concern over the 'total ineffectiveness of the administration to contain the situation,' YMC appealed to the Election Commission of India to take prompt action to ensure the citizens of Manipur and Heirok in particular freely exercise their right to franchise.