RIMS road blast : Two KEDO volunteers remanded
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 24 2020: Two volunteers of Kanglei Economic Development Organization (KEDO) were arrested in connection with the powerful IED blast at RIMS road yesterday morning.

They were produced before the Duty Magistrate, Imphal West, later in the evening and taken into police remand for further investigation of the case.

According to a reliable source, KEDO volunteers identified as Soibam Kumarjit (54) of Loitang Sandum, Soibam Narendra (28) of Loitang Sandum and Kakyenpaibam Tolongkhomba (32) of Nongpok Heirok and a volunteer of Worker Union Manipur, identified as Haorokcham Rabichandra of Nongpok Sanjenbam, were detained by a team of Imphal West district police and kept in Imphal PS lock up last night for questioning in connection with the blast.

The source informed that Soibam Kumarjit and Haorokcham Rabichandra were set free at around 4 pm today, while the remaining other two individuals, Soibam Narendra and Kakyenpaibam Tolongkhomba were detained further and later produced before the Duty Magistrate of Imphal West along with a prayer for remanding them in police custody.

Satisfied with the police prayer, the Court remanded the two individuals to police custody till January 30.On the other hand, condemning the arrest of the individuals, Khwairamband women vendors along with members of KEDO, staged a sit in protest at Nagamapal Keithel earlier, demanding their immediate release.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the protest, KEDO secretary Thokchom Surchandra said that after the bomb blast yesterday morning, police pulled up three members of KEDO namely Soibam Narendra, Soibam Kumarjit and Kakyenpaibam Tolongkhomba, on suspicion.

KEDO strongly condemns the action of the State police for pulling up innocent individuals, who are daily wage earners, Surchandra said.

He urged the State Government and the authorities concerned to investigate properly and arrest the actual culprit(s) instead of arresting those who are genuinely working for their source of livelihood.

The women vendors along with KEDO will be compelled to launch intense form of agitation if the arrested members are not released at the earliest, he cautioned.

On the other hand, one of the women vendors, Nongmaithem Santa, maintained that Kakyenpaibam Tolongkhomba is a differently-abled person but he was still arrested by police.

She continued that members of KEDO look after the commodities/packages that the women vendors leave behind, during the night, apart from providing other assistance to the vendors as well.

The organisation plays an important role in the market and the womenfolk of the market are only able to get sound sleep knowing that their items/baggages are safe with KEDO, she added.

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