Police point fingers at KSO Dungpi block, two held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 26 2019: Two functionaries of Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Gunpi Block have been arrested by police in connection with the burning down of St Joseph's Higher Secondary School, Sugnu at around 9.50 pm yesterday.

KSO Gunpi Block education secretary David Jamminlen Baite (30) s/o late Holngam Baite and information secretary Thangkhanlal Haokip (26) s/o Thongkholun Haokip have been remanded to police custody for five days for further questioning.

On the other hand, IGP K Jayanta has expressed strong suspicion that St Joseph's Hr Sec School, Sugnu was set ablaze by some supporters of KSO Gunpi Block.

Speaking to media persons at Imphal West District Police headquarters today, K Jayanta said that all the culprits would be pulled up soon and all the facts behind the arson would be established shortly.

Police point fingers at KSO Dungpi block, two held

As soon as information of the the school being set ablaze was received, Kakching police rushed to the school along with fire brigades of Sugnu and Kakching to control the fire.

Even though the fire tenders succeeded in containing the inferno with the help of local people, one classroom block including office of the Principal had been totally gutted.

While the ground floor of the block was made of brick, the upper storey was made of wood.

It is estimated that goods worth around Rs 35,29,000 had been destroyed in the arson.

After receiving a complaint from the school authority in connection with the arson, an FIR has been registered at Sugnu police station and due investigation has already been launched.

In the course of the investigation, it has been learnt that the school authority expelled six students sometime back.

But KSO submitted representation to the school authority demanding cancellation of the expulsion order.

It also warned the school authority to close the school from April 25 in case the expulsion order was not cancelled.

KSO's ultimatum to the school authority was also found pasted on the gate of the school.

As the school authority did not respond to the KSO's ultimatum, there is strong possibility of KSO volunteers burning down the school building, said the IGP.

People residing in the school's vicinity said that they saw some unidentified people coming down the hills on the eastern side of the school and later going back though the same route.

Following further investigation, KSO Gunpi block's education secretary David Jamminlen Baite and information secretary Thangkhanlal Haokip who signed on the ultimatum served to the school authority have been pulled up by police, Jayanta said.

The duo are being questioned and police have launched massive search for other functionaries of KSO Gunpi Block.

To a query raised by reporters, the IGP said that it is too early to say whether the two arrested KSO functionaries were directly involved in the arson or not nonetheless they have confessed that they served an ultimatum to the school authority.

Saying that educational institutions are like temples, he denounced the act of burning educational institutions.

The IGP said that all those culprits involved in such criminal activities would never be let scotfree.

Asking all the culprits to surrender before police, Jayanta said that police will never stop searching for the culprits until they are all arrested.