Day: March 13, 2013

Imphal Mar 13 UNA: The four school going girls who were allegedly raped by two defected cadres of Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) on October 5 last in Tamenglong’s Khoupum village were likely to become the first four rape victims who would get the benefits under the new Central sponsored scheme “Financial Assistance and Support Services to Victims of Rape.”
On that fateful day (October 5, 2012), the four girls who rushed inside a quarter of the caretaker of the IFED in Khoupum village after hearing gun shots on their way back from school to save themselves were raped by two defected ZUF cadres who were happened to be at the quarters.
While demanding justice to rape victims, several women based civil organizations in Manipur, particularly Tamenglong based have been demanding rehabilitation for them besides demanding speedy trials and delivering fitting punishment against the perpetrators.
Tamenglong district Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board which was constituted under the district social welfare office had on receiving applications filed by the four victims of rape has considered the same and has been referred to the State Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board for further actions, an official source said Wednesday.
Financial Assistance and Support Services to Victims of Rape is a scheme which was introduced by the government of India in furtherance of the goal of ensuring restorative justice to affected women and the scheme aims at providing financial assistance to victims of rape and support services such as shelter, counseling, medical aid, legal assistance, education and vocational training depending upon the needs of the victim.
The scheme covers women/minor girls who are victims of rape. For the purpose of this scheme “Rape” means-sexual intercourse with a woman under circumstances of against their will, without her consent, with her consent under certain conditions.
That is, when her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested in fear or of hurt, when the man knows that he is not her husband, and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or beliefs herself to be lawfully married and when she gives her consent at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome substance, she in unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent.
Under the scheme, an affected woman would be entitled to financial assistance and restorative support/services adding upto a maximum amount of Rs two lakh. The assistance should be available in respect of cases where the FIR was registered on or after the date from which the scheme comes into effect.
In the state, the scheme is being implementing under district criminal injuries relief and rehabilitation boards constituted with district magistrate/deputy commissioner as chairman constituted by the state government at the district level under State Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board with state principal secretary of social welfare department as chairperson.
At the national level the scheme is being implementing through the National Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board with secretary of Union ministry of women and child development as chairperson of the board.
A rape victim should filed her application for financial assistance and support service under the scheme within 60 days from the date of recording of the FIR by the police. The application could be filed by the victim woman or by any person/organisation/department/commissioner on her behalf with the application duly sign by her.
If the victim was a minor or mentally retarded, the application should be authorized by a medical officer and if on death of the victim woman, it could be done by her legal heir(s), according to the officials of the state social welfare department.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rape-victims-recommend-for-assistance-under-centres-financial-assistance-and-support-services/

IMPHAL, Mar 13 NNN: Strongly refuting to the allegation hurled at him by Kuki National Organisation/Kuki National Army ( KNO/KNA) that the militant outfit KPLF was formed by him and that the latter outfit was responsible for the bomb attack at the residence of Sesei Zou, chairman of the Autonomous Distriict Council (ADC) of Chandel district in the border town Moreh on Monday, Lalpu Mate said he is now leading a normal life and has no link with any militant organisation.
“I would like to clarify that I was once a cadre of KNLF but left the organisation in the year 2011. The reason being that the KNLF was not a true revolutionary organisation but was a game plan of KNO/KNA to carry out their unlawful activities since they cannot do it in the name of KNO/KNA as they are under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement. KNLF was formed in 2008 at Hermon camp, the KNO/KNA desinated camp at Chehlep, Chandel district. After the training at Chehlep camp we were given shelter by valley based undergrounds inside Myanmar.
On March 11, 2011, KNLF cadres were given sheltered at Salem camp , Sangaikot, KNO/KNA designated camp with the permision of Thongsei Haokip, Defence Secretary of KNO/KNA and also carried out ambush in many places and collected public money which was shared equally with KNO/KNA.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/lalpu-mate-clarifies-on-bomb-attack/

IMPHAL, March 13 NNN: Twenty-six women civil society organizations based in Manipur on Wednesday suspended their weeks-long agitation against drug smuggling in the state following the Chief Minister’s assurance given to them that the Government would not let off all the drug traffickers and the law would punish the guilty.
Talking to the reporters at Manipur Press Club here, L Memchoubi, convenor, Working Group of Meira Paibis Movement in Manipur, said the stir by women organizations has been suspended after Chief Minister assured them that the Government would not let the drug traffickers scot-free and that further criminal proceedings would be taken up against them by the court.
She said the apex body of the meira paibi organizations had on March 11 submitted a memorandum raising four demands to the Chief Minister in connection with the recent drug hauls in the state.
In one of the biggest drug seizures in Manipur, six persons, including Defence PRO Col Ajay Chowdhry were detained by Manipur police while carrying pseudoephedrine drugs valued at an estimated Rs 24 crore at Pallel in Manipur’s Chandel district on February 24.
The police in the follow up action later arrested Seikholet Haokip, son of former Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly, TN Haokip in connection with the pallel drug seizure.
The drugs were meant to smuggle into neighbouring Mynamar, police reports had said.
The seven accused, including Col Ajay Chowdhry in the Pallel drug haul case were produced before the Special Court of NDPS, Manipur here yesterday and the court had remanded them to 11 days judicial custody.
Three separate FIRs have been filed at the Kakching Police Station regarding the Pallel drug seizure against the seven accused.
As per the investigation report on the case submitted by the Investigation Officer to the court, Col Ajay Chowdhury along with another two persons namely Ngairangbam Brojendro and Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip had also successfully transported huge quantity of illicit drugs from M-Sector, Imphal to Moreh in the first week of December 2012 by using the official Gypsy allotted to Col Chowdhry and a Bolero jeep bearing number AS 01BX-8699.
With this, the Army Col has been found involved in two separate drug smuggling cases.
Roland Keishing, Judge, Special Court of NDPS decided to send them to judicial custody for 11 days and fixed March 22 as the next hearing date of the case.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/women-civil-society-organizations-suspend-agitation-following-chief-ministers-assurance/