Imphal, June 02: In an apparent case of high-handedness by those in connection with power, a Tata truck owner was allegedly fired at and beaten up by some police commandos in civvies after his truck accidentally knocked against a Swift car driven by a brother-in-law of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh yesterday.

The Tata truck belonging to 48-year old Mutum Heramani of Waithou Tronglaobi, a retired Lance Naik of Assam Rifles, was reportedly returning after unloading earth at Khangabok at around 4 pm yesterday, when it accidentally knocked against the Swift car (MN01W0919) driven by Ningombam Gojen, who is a brother-in-law of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.

Apprehensive of the outcome of the incident, the driver of the Tata truck sped off till the house of the owner with the car chasing after it.

As the Tata truck was about to enter the gate of the owner, around five of them who were armed with pistols started firing from inside the car.

Talking to mediapersons today in connection with yesterday's incident, Heramani recalled that he was standing in the compound preparing to drop one of his daughters to her school boarding.

As he did not have any idea about what had happened, he ran out to the gate to request the pursuers to stop firing and identified himself as the owner of the truck.

However, instead of listening to him, the armed persons started beating him up and dragged him near the car and showed him the damages.

At that relevant time, a Tata Sumo also came along and together with its occupants, the armed persons renewed the assault on Heramani.

Although he knew the assailants as the party of Chief Minister O Ibobi's brother-in-law Gojen, his family members thought they were some armed UGs and could not even contact the police, Heramani said.

Shanti, wife of Heramani, recalled that after her husband ran inside and hid behind closed door on the upper floor of the house, the armed persons continued to fire around the house asking her husband to come out.

Shanti said that she and her daughter prostrated at the feet of the armed persons to spare the life of Heramani.

But the armed persons broke down the doors and after dragging him out of the room kicked him down the staircase.

When they came out of the compound, her daughter suggested to call the police, but one of the armed persons showed his identity card identifying himself as a police commando, Shanti claimed.

Only when Gojen telephoned to the police, the family members could be reassured, Shanti added.

Heramani further informed that he was taken to the Thoubal Police Station where the police officer incharge insisted on resolving the matter between the parties concerned.

As the police refused to register his complaint even today insisting on mutual settlement of the issue, he has lodged a complaint with Chief Judicial Magistrate of Thoubal today, Heramani informed.

Comment