Category: News

By R Lester Makang
UKHRUL, July 13: Barely a day after the gunning down of Ukhrul ADC former vice chairman Ngalangzar Malue at Finch Corner on July 12, Ukhrul town has been virtually placed under siege with the deployment of hundreds of State security forces even as the district magistrate clamped 144 CrPc in and around the district headquarters since early morning.

Reliable sources said that since late last night a combined team of police commondo and IRB has been deployed to reinforce security presence in the town.

Subsequently, the combined force cordoned off the town areas and raided the WTR office, an administrative unit of NSCN-IM located at Phungreitang in the wee hours today.

During the raid, eight cadres of the outfit were reportedly arrested by the combined force from the administrative camp at around 3 am, sources said.

Reports also informed that the combined force then ransacked the outfit’s office and seized loads of documents and other belongings including arms and ammunition. All the arrested cadres were deported to Imphal today, along with the seized items, added the source.

Later, around 4 pm a stiff confrontation occurred between the public of the town and the State security forces when another security reinforcement team tried to gain entry into the town at Dungrei, Hundung Junction.

Sources said, as the public learned of the news of another reinforcement team approaching, residents of the town especially woman folk came out with torches and blocked the way at two points one at Hundung zero point and other at Dungrei Junction where huge logs were placed and tyres were burned across the breadth of the road.

The situation turned tense as the two sides could not reached a settlement as to the public demand for withdrawal of the security forces as well as revocation of the curfew with immediate effect.

However, there has been no untoward occurence during the heated confrontation.

Meanwhile, a high level meeting towards bringing an amicable settlement was immediately convened at Ukhrul DC chamber represented by district magistrate, police officers on government side and representatives of ANSAM, TNL and TSL on public side.

TNL has even written a representation today to the district magistrate for immediate revocation of the 144 Cr Pc being clamped in the town areas.

However, no positive outcome could be obtained till the time of filing the report late in the evening.

Meanwhile, the number of public, especially torch bearing woman folks guarding the two entry points at Hundung junction has been growing till around 9:30 pm.

Although the district magistrate has verbally assured the public representatives to wothdraw the curfew immediately, the public is pressing for the same assurance in writing till the filing of this report.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/ukhrul-burns-144-crpc-clamped-public-protest-after-8-nscn-im-cadres-arrested/

Imphal, July 13: The State government won’t remain a mute spectator and will teach a befitting lesson to the people behind the ambush in Ukhrul to show that the rule of law still exists in the State, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said today.

CM Okram Ibobi was speaking to media persons during an inspection tour of the ongoing construction works at Sanjenthong, JNIMS Hospital and the Civil Secretariat building today morning.

Replying to queries by media persons about the ambush in Ukhrul in which an ADC member of the district was killed on Saturday, he said that after receiving the news about the incident, a combined team of more than 200 Manipur Police commandos and about 400 MR/IRB personnel rushed to the site of the incident in Ukhrul on Saturday midnight.

Security forces conducted a massive search operation in suspicious areas of Ukhrul, he added.

The CM further said it has been reported that seven suspected cadres were nabbed by the combined team from the Phungleirong area in Ukhrul, adding they have been brought to Imphal for further investigations.

“We all have to know that there is a rule of law in the State whether it is in Tamenglong, Ukhrul or Chandel. We are well prepared enough to confront law breakers of any hues. As NSCN-IM is a signatory of a cease fire agreement with the Indian government, we maintain the agreement till now.”

The Government can’t remain a mute spectator when Naga, Kuki or valley based UGs are violating the law and will do something for safeguarding people in the future, he added.

Expressing optimism that the under construction Sanjenthong Bridge will be completed before the Sangai festival in November 2014, the CM said the lower portion of the bridge has been completed but constructing the upper portion is proving to be difficult as some materials of the portion needs to be imported from the abroad.

The materials will be brought after an agreement with an UK based company and it will take three months for the materials to reach Manipur, he said.

Extremely pleased with the progress of the infrastructural development in JNIMS, he encouraged the construction team to complete most of the building before January next year.

On January, a team of MCI representatives will arrive for inspection, he said, urging the contractors to not delay the construction as negligence will spoil the careers of many students.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/will-show-that-rule-of-law-exists-in-the-state-says-cm/

THOUBAL, July 13: A labourer went on a killing spree holding a machete killing a policeman and a man who had come to visit his wife at a health centre and injured another co-worker, before he was eventually gun downed by the police at the Chakpikarong Community Health Center, Chandel district, last night.

The labourer has been identified as Naorem Hemokut Singh, son of (L) N Santomba of Kakching Paji Leikai.

He was engaged as a labourer for the renovation works of the x-ray and ultrasound rooms at the health centre.

The two dead have been identified as Bs Tonhring Anal son of Bs Angching Anal of Anal Khullen and D Kothang Maring (constable No 0906074) of Heinoukhong village in Chandel district, while the injured have been identified as Pukhrambam Nilakanta Singh, 43, son of (L) P Babudon Singh of Kakching Khunjai Leikai in Thoubal district.

Meanwhile, a mob who had gathered on hearing news of the killing prevented the police from recovering the dead bodies and burnt down a Gypsy of the police.

Around 8pm yesterday, Hemokut started attacking the other labourers without any reason.

Soon enough, the others overpowered him and kept him inside the building of the centre with his hands tied.

According to Nilakanta, a fellow labourer injured during the attack, said after the police arrived, they kept Hemokut confined inside the kitchen, from where he escaped with a machete and started attacking him.

Nilakanta said he ran outside the campus and hid on a timber laden truck.

Unsatisfied with that he attacked a man who had come to visit his wife who was at the centre and a policeman with a machete killing them both on the spot, informed another source.

Meanwhile, according to the police, a team of the police rushed to the health centre soon after getting information about a man attacking others inside the centre.

The police witnessed a dead body lying on the northern gate of the centre on their arrival and even as they kept looking for the assailant using torchlights, the assailant used his machete to strike at a police man killing him on the spot, police sources informed.

In the ensuing melee, other police personnel opened some rounds of fire and captured the assailant. However, he died on the way to the police station due to the bullet injury.

ST Nunghlung Victor, MLA 41 Chandel; sub-divisional officer and sub-deputy collector of Chakpikarong and E Priyokumar, Superintendent of Police Chandel also visited the spot.

Later on, Chandel MLA ST Nunghlung Victor and leaders of various civil organizations also attended a public meeting which was held in connection with the incident at Anal Chiefs Association Hall in Chakpikarong today.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/07/two-dead-after-man-goes-on-killing-spree/