Protests over fake encounter killing in Manipur intensify

‘If Chief Minister has misled the House, he should resign on moral grounds’
— PHOTO: PTI

Women block the road during a general strike on Monday in protest against the alleged fake encounter in Kakwa, Imphal.

IMPHAL: Life was disrupted in Manipur on Monday as a result of the 48-hour general strike called by Apunba Lup, an amalgamation of 32 social organisations. The general strike began from midnight on Sunday.

People are demanding a judicial probe into the firings in Imphal city on July 23 which killed two persons, including a pregnant woman, and injured five others. They are also demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh for misleading the House.

Photographic evidence

Published photographic evidence shows that Chungkham Sanjit was taken inside a pharmacy and shot dead. They also show that there was no encounter or recovery of weapons from Sanjit. Soon after the publication of the tell-tale photographs, Mr. Ibobi rushed to New Delhi to attend meetings. Lodged at the Manipur House, the Chief Minister is not taking any visitors.

Roads were blocked with burning tyres and uprooted trees in Manipur. Effigies of the Chief Minister and Director-General of Police Yumnam Joykumar were burnt at a few places.

The police beat up several women and took some into custody. Apunba Lup said if suitable action was not taken during the strike, there would be more agitations.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Manipur People’s Party led by president Nimaichand Luwang called on Governor Gurbachan Jagat at 4 p.m. on Monday.

During the hour-long meeting, the leaders demanded a judicial inquiry and urged him to make other recommendations to the Union government due to the frequency of killings of innocent persons in fake encounters.

They said that as per a statement given by the Chief Minister, who is also in-charge of Home on the killings in the city, Sanjit had opened indiscriminate firing. He was eventually killed as he had refused to surrender.

However, according to them, the photographs show Sanjit was with police commandos, and that he was pushed inside the pharmacy, where he was eventually killed. They said, in order to find out the truth, a judicial inquiry had become necessary and that if the Chief Minister misled the House with fabricated reports on the fake encounter, he should tender his resignation on moral grounds. The Hindu