Condemning assault, drivers stay off duty
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 26 2025: Manipur Drivers' Association (MDA) has launched a 'steering wheel off strike, halting vehicular movement along the Imphal-Dimapur road against the alleged assault of a truck driver by the personnel of Sapermeina police station in front of their Officer-in-Charge.

The incident reportedly occurred around 7.30 am, near the police check gate at Sapermeina when Ashepri David, the truck driver, was returning to his village after loading goods in Imphal.

Ashepri David, a resident of Tungjoy village in Senapati, alleged that he was beaten by three Sapermeina police personnel in front of the OC over a dispute about an entry fee, and the OC didn't intervene.

Condemning assault, drivers stay off duty

Taking strong exception to the alleged police brutality, the MDA announced that their agitation will continue until the police officer and personnel involved are suspended and action is taken against them.

The Senapati District Truck Owners' Association (SDTOA) and Senapati District Truck Drivers Union (SDTDU) have also initiated a similar line of agitation, claiming that Ashepri David was arrested without an arrest memo at an unauthorised check-point situated approximately 200-300 metre away from the official police check-gate at Sapermeina.

The Senapati truck bodies claimed that the driver was kicked and punched before being taken into custody.

At a media briefing at Kwakeithel, MDA general secretary Sanjoy Kshetrimayum condemned the Sapermeina police personnel's alleged assault of Ashepri David, saying the OC's inaction was particularly shocking.

Demanding that the OC of Sapermeina police station and the personnel involved in assaulting the driver be suspended immediately, he added that their agitation will continue until their demand is entertained.

He also said that they will not hold any talk with the Government until the rogue police personnel are suspended, urging the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to intervene.

Certain police personnel have been causing undue hardship to drivers at various points along the Imphal-Dimapur road by setting up unauthorised check-posts to collect money from them, he claimed and urged the PR administration to remove the unauthorised check posts.

Questioning the police's alleged practice of demanding Rs 200 from loaded trucks and Rs 50 from empty ones at every check post, he asked if there is a directive from higher authorities to collect such fees from drivers.

Noting that the IGP (Law and Order) had previously ordered the removal of some check posts along the Imphal-Dimapur road, Sanjoy urged the relevant authorities to dismantle all unauthorized check posts on both the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways.

He said that vehicular movement along the Imphal-Dimapur road resumed only recently after over three months of disruption due to a landslide at Phesama.