IMPHAL, Feb 9 MNS/NNN: A prayer service for the death of FCI truck driver Ningombam Gobardhon organized by All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union (AMRTDMWU) went berserk after a large number of police fired several rounds of tear gas canisters at the gathering at Mantripukhri in Imphal on Saturday.
Gobardhon was found murdered inside his truck at Kohima in Nagaland town along National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur road) on February 7 morning.
Traffic along the Mantripukhri section of NH-2 was choked due to the prayer service.
Heavily armed police led by Imphal East District Police SDPO, Manjit reportedly rampaged through the office complex of the AMRTDMWU where the prayer service was progressing and fired several rounds of tear gas canisters to quell them.
The police said the crowd participating at the prayer service was blocking the highway section as a mark of protest against the alleged killing of the driver following which they were forced to hold back them by resorting to tear gas shells firing.
However, no one was reported suffering any injury in the police action.
The body of Gobardhon was brought here from Kohima late night yesterday.
In connection with the alleged killing of the truck driver, a joint meeting of Transporters and Drivers Council (TDC) and AMRTDMWU was held at the office premises of the former located at MG Avenue here last night.
The meeting decided to urge Manipur Government to arrest the culprits of the killing.
Meanwhile, protesting against the alleged unruly act of the police who reportedly ruined the prayer service for Gobardhon at Mantripukhri, the AMRTDMWU along with the family members of the killed driver and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) seeking justice in the killing have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister O Ibobi today. The memorandum demands that action be taken against the SDPO and dismissed from service and warns that the union will launch protest against the police officer.
Simultaneously, they met with the Chief Minister who asked them to take the body, one of the representatives of the JAC told reporters.
The Chief Minister also assured them that he would look into the matter and that the Government would take a decision in the next two-three days regarding paying of ex-gratia and a suitable Government job to the next of kin.
Meanwhile, a report said that the JAC and the family have claimed the body following the assurance from the chief minister to address the matter.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/protests-over-killing-of-driver-turn-violent/
