Imphal, July 27, 2010: In the series of attacks at the workers of the CPI in Lamlai areas of Imphal East district by a particular underground group, a 45 year-old woman, wife of a worker of the party and Minister Ph Parijat was shot dead last night at her house at Sabungkhok.

Locals believed that the killing of the woman could be connected with the series of attacks launched by a particular underground group during the past eight to nine days, which include kidnap and attempt to kidnap family members of the CPI workers in Lamlai areas when they could not find the workers themselves.

Police also suspected the killers to be the activists of KCP (City Meitei) who were behind the series of attacks, kidnapping and shooting of people in and around Lamlai areas during the past one week.

Two gunmen shot the housewife identified as Ningthoujam Indira last night, at about 11.30 pm, at her house at Sabungkhok Mayai Leikai under Lamlai police station of Imphal east district when they could not find her husband, Ningthoujam Tomba, who is an active worker of the lone CPI Minister, Ph Parijat.

They pumped her with two bullets.

One of the bullet hit in his right arm while the other in her right chest.

She succumbed to her injuries at JNIMS Hospital, Imphal after four hour of struggle for life, at 3 am.

The woman was survived by her husband and four children, three sons and a daughter.

Her husband is an active worker of the CPI and close associate of the minister.

Family members said that the two gunmen intruded into the house of the worker last night by breaking the front door when none of the family members failed to response when they call.

Indira who woke up and asked for the reason, they asked about her husband in which she replied that they were out of station from the home and will back tomorrow.

Unable to find any other male member of the family, one of the miscreants contacted to someone over his phone and after informing that no other members were in the house asked what shall they do.

Apparently on getting the order from the phone receiver, one of them took out a small gun and shot at twice to injure the woman in the right arm and chest and left the place hurriedly, they said.

Neighbourhoods who rushed to the house on hearing the gun firing sounds found Indira lying into a pool of blood on the ground at the verandah of the house and evacuated her immediately at JNIMS Hospital Porompat where she succumbed to her injuries at about 3 am.

Outrage over the killing of the woman, residents of Lamlai area rose today and blocked all kinds of traffic on the Imphal-Ukhrul section of the NH-150.Sit-in protests were also staged at Laikot Lamkhai, Swambung gate, Khunjao, and other places across Lamlai area to register strong protest against the act of the undergrounds.

Various slogans decrying attack on woman were displayed at the protest sites.

A woman taking part in the protest lamented that targeting women, the weaker section of the society is the act of coward people.

They wanted an open debate with the underground groups engaged in killing and attacking women, she added.

A group of womenfolk in three canter buses also came up to Imphal also lodged complaint with the Chief Minister regarding the killing by submitting a memorandum.

In the memorandum, they demanded to book the culprits within two days and punish them under law and increasing the number of police commandos and security personnel deploying in Lamlai area.

Until government translated the demand into action, the dead body of the deceased will not be taken back for last rites.

A 10 member team among the womenfolk held talks with the Chief Minister regarding their demands.

Chief Minister reportedly gave assurance to increase the number of police commandos and security personnel and intensified patrolling, a government job to a member of the family with ex-gratia grant before the sharda ceremony of the deceased.

According to the local reports, the militant group behind the series of attacks to the family of the workers of the CPI minister is demanding Rs 10 crore from the minister with contract works in the ongoing infrastructure development works at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and quotas in the job appointment of the institute.

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