IMPHAL, Sep 1: A field visit was conducted today organized by the Coalition on Children’s Rights to Protection (CCRP), Manipur along with the media personnel and state coordinator, CCRP, Manipur, A. Chinglemba who is heading the team which is finding facts regarding the disappearance of a student of the Hundred Flowers Higher Secondary School.
Md.Rohit, 14 years, son of Md.Yakub of Golapati Maning Leikai, a Class VIII student of the school went missing on August 19 this year. In an interaction his father said that on the fateful day he went to school along with his younger sister who is also a Class V student of the same school. His younger sister came back alone in the evening and when she was asked about the whereabouts of her brother, she said she had no knowledge.
Later, when one of his friends came to their house and enquired if Rohit had returned or not his parents answered that he hadn’t returned, following which his friend told them that Rohit was scolded by his teachers regarding some matter.
The concerned parents then contacted his friends, teachers, relatives etc. and when nothing positive happened they started to worry. His parents reported the matter to Rohit’s school and also lodged an FIR at the Heingang police station regarding the missing boy.
A JAC, namely ‘JAC against the missing of Md.Rohit @Lemba’ was formed which tried their level best to trace the missing boy and held a public meeting on August 27 threatening to call a bandh if the boy was not found by August 30. However, due to a request from the Parents Guardians Association to call off the bandh in the best interest of the student community and on the assurance of full support in the search of Rohit, the JAC had called off the same.
They, however, took a decision that if their demand for the safe handing over of the boy Md. Rohit to his parents by the concerned authorities did not materialize by September 4 they would call an all-Manipur 24-hours bandh beginning from the midnight of September 5 till the midnight of the September 6. They also appealed to all student bodies, meira paibis, and human rights activists to extend their help and co-operation.
The authorities and teachers of Hundred Flower School have stated that Md.Rohit was a new student who was admitted this year itself. Earlier, he along with his friends was reportedly involved in mischief at school but the school authorities had been excusing him and giving him a chance to reform. However, on August 18, he was reportedly seen with some boys loitering around in his school uniform and bunking school by one of his classmates who happened to be a girl. The boys fearing that they would be reported to their teachers called the girl from a mobile at about 8 pm on the same day. They used abusive words at the girl, which was also heard by the girls’ mother through the loud speaker.
The enraged girl complained to their class teacher in the presence of Md. Rohit and his friend who were further taken to the office and scolded. Since Rohit was the one abusing the girl, he was asked to bring his parents the next day to school and was sent back to his class immediately afterwards. After the first period got over when the teacher left the class and before the 2nd teacher stepped in, Rohit took his bag and went through the boys’ toilet and ran away through a hole in the area.
The teacher who was aware of the morning’s incident on noticing his absence reported the same and searched for him in vain. They assumed that he bunked school due to the embarrassment of his misconduct being caught and thought he’d return the next morning with his parents as he was informed to do so.
However, they were shocked the next morning as contrary to what they had advised the boy they were informed that he never returned home from school the previous day. The school authorities were extremely shocked and did their level best to search for him everywhere and are doing so till date. They have also appealed to his parents and the JAC to extend their support and help them in the search for Md Rohit.
The OC of Heingang Police, A.Khelen said that two FIRs had been lodged against the disappearance of Md Rohit (one from his parents and the other from the school authorities). He further stated that a statement had been submitted to the SP and currently his instructions are awaited.