Memchoubi remanded for 15 days in police custody
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 26 2009: The president of Poirei Leimarol Apunba Meira Paibi Lup, Sarangthem Memchoubi (74), who was arrested by Imphal West police commandos yesterday from her house at Thangmeiband Polem Leikai, was produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal today and remanded in police custody for 15 days .

Hundreds of slogan shouting women stormed the Cheirap Court complex at Uripok to secure unconditional release of their leader and attempted to snatch Memchoubi from the police.

Protesters shout slogans when Memchoubi (escorted by a woman police) is brought out of the court room at Uripok Cheirap

She is the sixth person of the Apunba Lup arrested by police and sent to jail on the charge of spearheading the ongoing anti-government protest which in the eyes of the state government and its police amounts to breach of public tranquility.

Five leaders of the Apunba Lup spearheading the mass agitation since August 2 against the killing of two persons�a young pregnant housewife and a youth in an unfortunate incident at Khwairamband market on July 23 have already been imprisoned.

Four of them have been slapped with National Security Act (NSA).

Police charged them of breaching peace and tranquility which posed a great danger to human lives and properties while launching agitations demanding resignation of Chief Minister O Ibobi and punishment to the police commandos involved in the 'fake encounter'.

Police arrested the five leaders of the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup (WCAL) on August 4 as soon as the agitations started.

President of PLAMPL, Memchoubi was picked up by police yesterday afternoon along with two other women visiting her from her house.

Hundreds of women thronged the court complex where she was to be produced and shouted slogans.

They rushed towards the police vehicle carrying the woman leader and tried to snatch her from the police.

Police jostled with the women protesters when they tried to take away the woman leader.

When, she was again taken back by the police after the announcement of the court order allowing police to take remand for 15 days in their custody, the anghuished women tried to block the road but police dispersed them.