JAC refuses to claim dead foetus, announces 24-hr shutdown
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 14 2024:
Laishram ningol Naorem Ongbi Sanjita Devi, who has been undergoing treatment in critical condition at RIMS hospital, delivered a dead foetus on Saturday morning but enraged people placed the dead foetus in front of Singjamei police station located at Kakwa.
Meanwhile, JAC formed against the incident has announced 24-hour general strike on Sunday while calling for public cooperation.
It may mentioned that Sanjita got injured in action of security forces to disperse protestors on September 11 night at Kakwa.
Sanjita is said to be still alive at ICU of RIMS hospital since her admission at the hospital from September 12 after she suffered traumatic shock when a tear gas shell landed and exploded just outside her bedroom.
Despite her critical health condition, Sanjtia delivered a 1.5 kg dead foetus Saturday morning and the foetus was handed over to her husband Naorem Dipak Singh by RIMS authority.
As Dipak brought the dead foetus at his Naorem Leikai home on Saturday, local people already enraged by the excessive action of security forces against protestors on September 11 evening placed the dead foetus in front of Singjamei PS at Kakwa at about 12 noon.
Holding security forces responsible for killing of the foetus, enraged family members and locals refused to claim the dead foetus without the mother (Sanjita) and placed the dead foetus at the gate of Singjamei PS while shouting slogans against security forces.
As large numbers of people gathered in front of Singjamei PS within a short time, NH-102 road was blocked at Kakwa area and movement of vehicles on the road was completely halted.
However, Singjamei PS officer-in-charge came out from the police station and talked with the protesting people.
After brief tussle, an understanding was reached between the two sides that Singjamei PS OC will receive the dead foetus in presence of executive magistrate of Imphal West.
As the received memo signed by the OC mentioned that the dead foetus will be kept safely at RIMS morgue, people protested strongly and insisted the dead foetus should be kept at the police station and not at RIMS morgue.
Amidst the ensuing melee, enraged people snatched the memo received and torn it apart.
As police tried to take the dead foetus at RIMS morgue on a vehicle, people blocked the vehicle and forced it to move back inside the police station.
Later, Singjamei PS OC inspector M Conqueror signed another receipt memo mentioning that the dead foetus will be kept in safe custody.
Regarding Saturday's agitation, Dipak's father Naorem Nimai told media persons that his son is unable to bear the grief and is almost in the state of unconsciousness due to severe health condition of his wife and the demise of his mother only nine months back.
Nimai also said that Dipak's wife Sanjita might be still alive as informed by doctors but there seems to be no chance for survival.
The demand of the family and local people is to handover both the mother and the dead foetus together or else the dead foetus alone will not be claimed at all, he said adding that the dead foetus should be kept at the police station until then.
As people continue to block NH-102 road and continue to gather in large number at Kakwa area, the JAC formed in connection with the Kakwa incident convened a public meet later in the evening but no significant resolution was taken.
Nevertheless, the JAC decided to enquire RIMS authority as to how Sanjita delivered the dead foetus normally and accordingly planned to visit RIMS hospital.
Meanwhile, enraged people gathered in Kakwa area, started burning tyres on the culvert on the road junction leading to Singjamei PS and even pelted stones to the police station.
In the tense emerging situation, police started bring tear gas shells to disperse the protestors.
Later in the late night, while interacting with media at RIMS campus, JAC leaders said that the doctor concerned verbally told JAC that they administered medicines to induce contraction for child-birth for the last couple of days and the delivery was made on Saturday.
The JAC leaders also announced a 24-hour shutdown across the state on Sunday.
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