Missing driver found dead, road blocked
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 19 2013: Driver of a van (Tata Aries), who was hired to take a patient to the hospital has been found dead after he remained traceless for a few days.

Enraged by the news that missing driver Thokchom Kiran (28) s/o Th Irabot of Thongju Part I, Koirou Mamang Leikai has been found dead, locals blocked NH-2 (Imphal-Moreh highway) at two points.

Kiran reportedly left home at about 6.30 pm on of March 14 at the request of Md Salim s/o Md Abdul Kahir and Md Sabir (35) s/o Md Abdul Hussain to take a patient to the hospital.

While Md Sabir is a VDF personnel, Md Salim is a Rifleman of 7 Manipur Rifles and his father Abdul Kahir is Up-Pradhan of Kyamgei Arapti Gram Panchayat.

Late in the evening an incensed mob dismantled the houses of the two accused.

Kiran was found dead in the pond of Md Rajauddin (40), brother-in-law of Md Salim at Phoubakchao Konuma at about 1.45 pm today.

Locals blocking the road to protest the killing of a driver

Salim and Sabir came to the house of Kiran in the morning of March 15 in an auto-rickshaw and informed Kiran's parents that he had gone missing even as they brought back the van driven by Kiran.

Sensing something amiss, Kiran's family asked the duo for the van.

But when Salim and Sabir brought the van back, local people of Koirou rounded them up and handed them over to the police.

Family members and local people went to Md Rajauddin's house at Phoubakchao Konuma in search of Kiran but they did not find him there.

In the meantime, Salim's younger brother-in-law Md Rashid (30) of Keikhu Muslim Mamang Leikai suggested to Irabot that they may search Kiran with the help of a Maiba.

With this suggestion, one Maiba by the name of Sanjenbam Sanahal was sent to Irabot's home on March 18.At Irabot's home, Sanahal was subjected to intensive questioning and he was made to call Md Rashid.

Md Rashid was also put to intensive questioning and he finally revealed that Md Salim, Md Nawaj, Md Rajauddin, Md Sabir and himself murdered Kiran and buried him in a cemetery at Phoubakchao Konuma in the night of March 14 .

Both Md Rashid and Sanjenbam Sanahal were handed over to Irilbung police at about 2.30 this morning.

Later this morning, a large number of people went to Irilbung police station and demanded them (police) to find the corpse and take up befitting action against the culprits.

The crowd held two women from Irilbung PS gate who reportedly came to meet Md Salim, Md Sabir and Md Rashid and handed them over to Porompat PS.

The two women were said to be relatives of Md Salim, Md Sabir and Md Rashid.

But when police searched the Phoubakchao Konuma cemetery, Kiran's body was not found there.

Later, the corpse was found in a pond located within the homestead of Md Rajauddin.

The corpse was retrieved and taken to JNIMS mortuary for post mortem.

Infuriated by the murder of Kiran, a large number of people blocked NH-2 at Thongju Boroi Makhong and Naorem Leikai demanding exemplary punishment for all the accused.

Although Md Salim, Md Sabir and Md Rashid have been taken into police custody, Md Rajauddin and Md Nawaj have gone into hiding.

Meanwhile a joint press release issued by the All Manipur Muslim Organisations' Coordinating Committee and the All Manipur Muslim Students' Organisation have pledged unstinted support to any course of action that may be taken by the JAC constituted in connection with the death of Kiran towards the end that all culprits are punished according to law.

It also appealed to the Government to take up necessary precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident.

They further appealed to all civil society organisations to join hands and ensure that all the culprits are punished accordingly.