IMPHAL, Apr 18 MNS, Agencies: Heavily armed persons suspected to be militants reportedly shot dead a truck driver and torched two trucks along National Highway-37 (Imphal-Silchar Road) last night.
Denouncing the act of murder and arson, the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Works Union has announced a statewide general strike from April 18 midnight till April 19 midnight.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) constituted in connection with the killing of driver Sorokhaibam Babu Singh aged 40, a local of Samurou Awang Leikai in Imphal West district, has also called another 48-hour Manipur bandh beginning Thursday midnight.
At around 8:30 pm Wednesday, an unspecified number of heavily armed persons clad in combat dress stopped the FCI rice loaded truck driven by Babu at Charoi Pandong under Sapermeina Police Station in Senapati district.They then dragged down both the driver and handyman from the vehicle and snatched away their mobile phones and money and suddenly they burnt down the truck and turned their guns at the driver shooting him to death, reports said.
However, the handyman hid himself inside a pit and escaped the attack. He has been identified as Lalhaktang aged 27, a native of Bongkol bazaar in Mizoram. The victim driver is stated to be his brother-in-law.
Reports said the armed miscreants torched a cement loaded truck at the spot before the killing.
Personnel of 86th Battalion of CRPF stationed at Keithgelmanbi rushed the driver to hospital but he succumbed on the way.
Angry residents of Samurou blocked the National Highway-37 protesting the killing and arson. They barred all the vehicles coming along the highway section.
The corpse has been deposited at Regional Institute of Medial Sciences (RIMS) mortuary.
The JAC has made various demands to the Manipur Government in connection with the death of driver Babu. It held a meeting at Samurou bazaar wherein it took six different resolutions regarding the death.
It said Manipur Government should be responsible for the killing of driver Babu and burning of two trucks by miscreants. It also decided to impose a 48-hour Manipur bandh beginning April 18 midnight.
The culprits should clarify on the killing of Babu, it demanded and said the Government should share the bereaved family and extend help to the family.
It also resolved to seek support from different NGOs as well as the people in the stir being launched by the JAC and that the body will not be claimed until the demands are fulfilled.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/driver-killed-at-tamenglong-trucks-burnt-bandh-called/
