Civil societies condemn
Source: The Sangai Express
Senapati, April 21 2016:
In a bid to prevent escalation of tensions among different communities and also to pressurize authorities concerned to effectively curb incidents of hijacking, looting and harassing travellers and transporters along NH-2 (Mao-Imphal), a joint meeting of police, 25 Assam Rifles, civil society organisations of Senapati and Sadar Hills was held today and it was chaired by Senapati SP K Kabib.
Presidents and members of different organizations like Naga People's Organization (NPO), Kuki Inpi-Sadar Hills, SDWA, Kuki Women's-SH, SDSA, KSO-SH, police officials, Kangpokpi 25 AR company Commander Major HN Singh and others attended today's meeting, our correspondent reports.
Kuki Inpi-SH, during the meeting, returned the mobile phones and key of the hijacked vehicle with some financial assistance to those victims who were assaulted by the armed militants.
The NPO acknowledged the initiatives of the Senapati police under SP Kabib who recovered the hijacked vehicle and the victims on the day of the incident.
The apex body deliberated and condemned the April 19 incident where three women were assaulted by some armed militants before hijacking their Bolero pick-up jeep at Keithelmanbi along NH-2 for monetary demands.
The civil bodies noted that the public cannot continue to tolerate such anti-social elements and requested the police and AR forces to beef up their activities for the safety of the people.
While expressing solidarity to the victims, Senapati SP Kabib assured that the police will give its best to prevent such incidents by strictly monitoring the highway and appealed the people to contact the police any time in time of such incidents.
At least 2/3 abduction and kidnapping incidents occurred in a week along the National Highway within Sadar Hills mostly between Kangpokpi and Motbung.
However, most of the incidents went unreported.
The National Highway-2 section particularly between Kangpokpi and Motbung has become a risky zone for businessmen and transporters but no commendable measures have been implemented so far.
One factor for the recurrence of such incidents is that the culprits arrested in connection with the crime are bailed out within a short time and they are never given a single punishment for their offence, the civil bodies opined.
The Senapati District Driver's Welfare Union (SDDWU) has also condemned the April 19 Keithelmanbi incident wherein a driver and three women were assaulted by armed militants on their way to Imphal for selling flowers.
The Union has urged the State Government to book the culprits immediately.
It asked the Government authorities to take up adequate preventive steps to avoid recurrence of such incidents in the future.
SDDWU has also expressed its solidarity to its member Hepuni who was injured in the incident.