20 MIT students hurt in police action
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 22 2013: At least 20 students studying in Manipur Institute of Technology (MIT), Takyelpat including a student from Noida, who were agitating for removal of its Principal in-charge, sustained injuries when some police personnel brought by the Principal in-charge assaulted them.

The incident took place at around 2:30 pm today.

The Principal in-charge of MIT came along with some police personnel and a Magistrate while the students were staging a sit-in-protest in front of the gate of the institute.

The police personnel told the agitating students to leave the place as well as the hostel of the institute.

As the agitating students refused to leave the place saying that they are protesting in a very democratic manner, the Magistrate gave an order to leave the place within 20 minutes.

Injured students at the casualty ward of RIMS Hospital

At the end of the time given by the Magistrate, the police personnel accompanying the Principal and the Magistrate began to pull down the samiyana and rolled up the carpets.

The agitated students began to confront the police personnel and the police personnel started beating up the students.

Later, the police personnel used tear gas shells to disperse the agitating students.

In the process, at least 20 students including one Mitlesh Singh from Noida sustained injuries.

The injured students were given treatment at RIMS and discharged later.

The police personnel then rushed in to the hostels of the institute and drove out the students.

Since many of the students including girl students were from outside the State and from faraway places of the State, they had no time to go their respective homes and as such they have taken refuge at the house of one Soyam Abombi at Tera Khamnam Keithel Soyam Leirak.

Meanwhile, talking to media persons at its office at Keishampat here, A Thoithoi, Secretary General of DESAM stated that the assault on the students of MIT by the police personnel is condemnable in the strongest term.

He said that DESAM would be extending full support to ongoing agitation of MIT students.

MIT students who were also present during the press conference also condemned the act of the police personnel and termed it as uncivilized.

The beating up of the students was done under the instigation of the Principal.

The agitation of the students will never end until their demands are met.