Hotel manager clarifies
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 27 2012:
Rejecting all the allegations made by Senapati District Olympic Association president T Robert Maram, Ching-Tam Hotel Manager Khaidem Sarat has decried the attempts to give a communal twist to the incident of September 13 .
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here this afternoon, Sarat said that T Robert Maram was seen sitting in front of the hotel in inebriated condition in the evening of September while one Zimik was having meal inside the hotel.
After having his meal, Zimik went out and talked with Robert Maram A few minutes later, Zimik came in and asked for a pen which was complied with.
At this, Robert rushed in and pushed Sarat by the chest and shouted "Why you gave only pen without paper?" Though it was quite insulting, Sarat pacified himself keeping in view of the inebriated state of Robert Maram.
He silently took out a note-pad and gave it to them.
But T Robert snatched the pen from Zimik and threw it to Sarat hurting him on the nose.
This infuriated the hotel manager and resulted in a heated argument between Sarat and Robert.
They also pushed and shoved each other.
In the meantime, Sarat's daughter-in-law who was detailed for election (Panchayat) duty came back.
Seeing the inebriated condition of Robert, she asked Zimik to lead him and so he did.
After the incident, T Robert Maram filed a complaint at Imphal police station on September 16.Acting on the complaint, police pulled Sarat up in the morning of September 17 .
He was released on bail on September 19."The matter was between Robert and me and it was not a serious one.
But it is quite unfortunate that Robert Maram was trying to blow the issue out of proportion by adding communal colour to the incident", Sarat said.
He also appealed to all civil organisations of both the valley and hills not to support T Robert Maram's attempt to whip up a communal issue out of it and sow seeds of distrust among different communities.