PLA probes, sheds light on Lilong incident
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 04 2024:
The People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed wing of the proscribed Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), has shared report of its initial investigation into the January 1 firing incident at Lilong Chingjao.
According to the report, the outfit said that its cadres set out for their operation at 7.30 pm on January 1 .
Upon reaching Md Hassan's house, they found the main gate locked from inside and they called out the family members to open the gate.
As there was no response for about five minutes, one of its cadres scaled the gate and opened it from inside.
After this, some went inside, others surrounded the house and some stationed near the Gypsy vehicles.
When enquired about Md Hassan's whereabouts, his wife told them that her husband went out to Lilong Keithel along with a non-local labourer.
As the cadres started searching inside the house, the wife received a phone call and they heard the person on the other end enquiring if they (PLA cadres) have entered the house, to which the wife responded in affirmative.
Soon, they took her phone and started searching the rooms one by one, the report said.
On the second floor of the house, they found two locked rooms and asked demanded the wife to bring out the keys.
As she refused, the cadres crash-opened one of the doors and found a youth inside.
When asked, the youth indicated that Md Hassan was inside the other locked room and as such told the wife to ask her husband to open the door.
As Hassan did not open the door for long, they broke open the door, to which Hassan ran inside the bathroom and locked the door from inside.
In the meantime, they heard locals clanking the electric poles and people gathering around the cadres guarding the vehicles.
Taking advantage of the commotion outside, Md Hassan tried to escape from the bathroom but landed near some of the outfit's cadres guarding outside.
Soon they took him into custody and tried to take him but faced confrontation from local people who were armed with clubs and swords.
The report further said that the cadres identified themselves as that of PLA's and they came to talk with Md Hassan for his involvement in illegal drug trade in collusion with Kukis.
Some local residents responded positively and they were allowed to move inside the house of Md Hassan to take stock of the situation.
As the PLA cadres were talking with them and suggesting resolution of the issue outside with the local people, more people gathered and started confronting the cadres waiting outside.
Among them, one person tried to snatch the firearm from a cadre by holding him in a chokehold while another tried to hack another cadre with a sword.
Shots were fired in self-defence and two persons fell.
In the commotion, there were more gunshots from different sides.
They were forced to retreat as their vehicles were torched by the mob.
While retreating, they left two phones taken from Md Hassan's family in the nearby area and other than that the PLA cadres did not take any property of the family, the report added.