Imphal, April 23: In connection with its drive against selling and consumption of tobacco products, the proscribed outfit RPF today destroyed a large quantity of the banned substances seized from various places by setting them on fire and tonsured the heads of six women who were selling tobacco products as punishment for defying its diktat.

The destroyed tobacco products have been seized during a drive launched on April 22 at different places of Thoubal Tata area.

The six women who were pulled up for selling tobacco products and later tonsured their hairs as punishment have been identified as Soraisam Roma Devi (32) w/o Deepak, Akoijam Maipak Devi (57) w/o Amu, Lourembam Nungsitombi Devi (35) w/o Braja, Koijam Inaobi Devi (48) w/o late Parijat, Ningombam Baruni (52) w/o Shyamjai and Akoijam Jibanlata Devi (40) w/o Deban.

All of them are residents of Thoubal Wangmata Bazar area.

Parading all six of them before mediapersons somewhere in valley area today, a spokesperson of the department of communication and publicity of RPF said that the heads of the six accused women have been tonsured as punishment and their shops have been shut down for a period of six months.

Furthermore, the spokesperson asked nine other women identified as Okram Shanti Devi, Akoijam Bina Devi, Kakchingtabam Inaobi Devi, Akoijam Phajabi, Akoijam Purnimashi, Akoijam Indira, Akoijam Prema, Yanglem Aruna and Akoijam Chaoba Devi, all residents of Thoubal Wangmataba to surrender to the outfit within five days from today.

On the other hand, tobacco products seized by volunteers of MPAL, Bishnupur district from Ningthoukhong area this morning have been set on fire later during the day.

The destroyed tobacco products have been reportedly seized from the possession of two women Pan Dukan operators identified as Ksh Mema Devi w/o Sundra of Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou and Oinam Prema Devi w/o Marjit of Ningthoukhong W/N 1 .

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