RPF shares Lilong probe findings
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 04 2024:
The proscribed Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) has brought out the findings of its preliminary investigation into the Lilong Chingjao incident of January 1, 2024 .
The outfit has also posted the findings of its preliminary investigation on the website Ningtam Paojel.
According to the preliminary findings, a team of RPF's STAFORCE (Special Task Force) went to the residence of Md Hassan at around 7.30 pm on January 1 .
But Md Hassan's gate was locked from outside.
The gate was banged repeatedly and the residents were called to open the gate.
As there was no response even after around five minutes of calling, one of the cadres climbed the gate and opened it from inside.
Some of the cadres stayed back near the Gypsys, some others stood at the gate while some others surrounded the house.
On entering the house, the RPF/PLA cadres asked Hassan's wife if her husband was home.
The wife replied that Hassan had gone to Lilong Bazar with a non-local worker working at their house.
Nonetheless, the STAFORCE team went inside and checked the rooms one after another.
In the meantime, Hassan's wife received a phone call and she was asked if 'those people came inside' .
The wife replied in the affirmative.
In the next moment, the team took the phone and switched it off.
On the second floor, two rooms were found locked.
Even as Hassan's wife was asked to bring the keys of the rooms, she refused to comply.
Subsequently, one door was opened forcibly and one boy was found inside.
On asking the boy, he disclosed that Hassan was inside the other locked room.
Then Hassan's wife was asked to tell her husband to open the door.
But the door was not opened for a long time.
Subsequently, the door was opened forcibly.
As the team entered the room, Hassan went inside the bathroom and locked it from inside.
In the meantime, banging of electric poles was heard followed by shouting between the RPF/PLA cadres who were guarding the Gypsys and a group of people.
Amidst the din, Hassan jumped down from the bathroom and he landed near the cadres who were on the ground.
As the cadres tried to take out Hassan, a large number of men armed with clubs and swords rushed to the STAFORCE team and asked their identity.
The team identified themselves as PLA cadres and told the people that they came to talk with Hassan regarding the drug business he was doing in association with Kuki drug dealers.
Of the group of people who rushed to the team, three/four could be talked with peacefully.
The team and those three/four individuals went inside the house and took a look.
They came out and were talking to resolve the matter peacefully but the others in the group turned against the PLA cadres.
In the next moment, one man took hold of a PLA cadre by the neck and tried to snatch his (PLA cadre) weapon.
Another man rushed in poised to hack another PLA cadre.
As some shots were fired, the two men who tried to snatch weapon and hack a PLA cadre fell down.
This was followed by disorderly exchange of firing.
Even as the PLA cadres moved out hurriedly, the Gypsys were taken over by the mob.
Two phones taken by the team when they entered the house were left there and they did not take any other article from the house, according to the findings posted on Ningtam Paojel.