Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 13:
Strongly condemning the �custodial death� of Thangjam Manorama, MLA of Keishamthong Assembly Constituency L Ibomcha today rubbished all the claims made by 17 Assam Rifles personnel in connection with the killing.
Raising a series of posers, the MLA maintained that the hollowness of the AR�s claim is too obvious for the people to miss.
It is really unfortunate that the Assam Rifles would come out to say that arms have been recovered from the possession of the young woman against whom arrest memo was issued at the time of the arrest, he said.
Reacting to the claim of the Assam Rifles personnel that Manorama was killed when she tried to escape, Ibomcha wondered how far and fast a young woman who have been subjected to brutal torture could run and why the strong and healthy jawans could not run to catch her.
He further pointed out that there were many discrepancies in the press note issued by the Assam Rifles in connection with the killing with regard to the arms that have been allegedly recovered from the possession of the slain woman.
In the same vitriolic tone, Ibomcha asked how many such barbaric killings should take place for the Chief Minister, who had made tall promises during election time of scrapping out Disturbed Area status under Armed Forces Special Power Act if the security personnel step up their atrocities, to wake up to the public outcry.
Is the Chief Minister waiting for all the 59 MLAs including himself to be killed for lifting the Disturbed Area tag, Ibomcha lambasted, while asserting that conduct of Judicial inquiry or Magisterial inquiry to pacify the people is useless and would not solve the problem.
Demanding to know how long the Government is to play dilly-dallying tactics to fool the people, Ibomcha further asked what had come out of the judicial enquiry conducted into the death of a girl at Jiribam after she was allegedly raped by security personnel and whether anybody had been booked and given punishment.