Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 06:
With mass court arrest agitations continuing unabated demanding the arrest of Assam Rifles men involved in eliminating Th Manorama after arrest and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958, security personnel deployed in and around the capital districts are also having a torrid time in keeping the situation under control.
In pitched battles between police and protestors at Lamshang, Lamphal and Moirang today scores were injured and at least 25 people were admitted to RIMS hospital.
As part of the ongoing agitation, students and women folk converged at the Lamshang police station today and attempted to barge into the cell demanding their court arrest with the security personnel responding with determination to keep the protestors beyond the campus.
After the agitators squatted at the police station gate for about half an hour, a team of Imphal West district police arrived at the scene at about 1.30 pm and tried to single out and arrest some 4/5 youths not wearing school uniforms.
When a scuffle broke out between the agitators, who protested the arrest of some particular youths, and the police personnel the latter fired tear gas shells resulting in the women and students running for cover even as some among the protestors pelted stones provoking the cops to fire rubber bullets to contain the situation.
A pitched battle ensued as some youths suspected to be locals used catapults to counter the security offensive leading to rubber bullet injuries of one Th Ibemhal Devi (40) of Lamsang Bazar on the leg.
The injured woman was evacuated in a police Gypsy to the hospital.
Earlier, the agitators gathered at near the Praja Higher Secondary School premises before marching towards the police station.
Keeping up the heat on the State Govt, students from Takhel Sanjenbam educational institutions gathered at the Lamlai PS courting arrest.
With the police failing to pacify the protestors, they were herded on to security vehicles at released at Khurai Tinsid Road and Kongpal Thongkhong.
In protest of the police action the agitators released at Tinsid Road numbering about 150 refused to budge from where they were released and till late evening local club and meira paibi members are reported to be looking after the students.
Security personnel resorted to firing rubber bullet, burst tear gas shells and baton charged to disperse a sizeable mob at Nambol today when negotiations were being held with the concerned SDO to court arrest the agitators, alleged Nambol Area Joint Action Committee who organized the protest.
The Committee strongly condemned the police action while pledging to take part in agitations till the public demands are conceded.
LMS Law College students who launched indefinite hunger strike at Porompat from August 4, were arrested and sent to jail today, informed a press release of the College's students union.
The students launched the agitation to protest high-handed of State police personnel who arrested them for protesting at near the CM's residence and dumped them at Porompat.
The jailed protestors numbered 14.