IMPHAL, Oct. 19: Amidst the controversy surrounding the arrest of UNLF chairman RK Sanayaima, his family members today demanded that the Centre should inform the family regarding the whereabouts of the militant leader.
“It is our rightful demand that the Government of India should disclose the whereabouts of my father instead of concealing his present status,†stated R K Chinglen, son of Sana Yaima while speaking to mediapersons.
The demand came after efforts by RK Ongbi Ibemnungshi, wife of Sana Yaima who tried to trace the whereabouts of her husband through the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and high commissioner UN High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR) by sending representations which failed to evoke any positive responses.
The wife of the militant leader sent representations to the Union home secretary G K Pillai on October 14, NHRC and UNHC for HR on October 17 seeking to know whereabouts of Sanayaima following reports in the media that some unidentified men arrested UNLF leader in Bangladesh and has since been reportedly brought to India.
A copy of the representation to the Union home secretary was also submitted to DGP Manipur Y Joykumar.
Ibemnungshi, in her representations, demanded Sana Yaima’s whereabouts, location, position, the custody where he is being kept at present.
Sanayaima family`s demand came a day after GK Pillai told the media yesterday in Imphal that New Delhi did not have any information about his arrest in Bangladesh and also denied the report that Sana Yaima has been brought to India.
Sana Yaima alias R K Meghen has been away from his home at Yaiskul Janmasthan in Imphal city for the past 35 years or so. His father RK Madhuryyajit was a British Army officer and was a veteran of the second world war. He also founded SSB in Manipur and Nagaland after retirement.
“If he is arrested this should be disclosed. Why is India so afraid? Let there be a fair trial and we will not be making any demand for his arrest. At least what is the fact should be disclosed and the arrest should not be kept a secret,†Chinglen, second son of Sana Yaima said.
The family firmly believes that Sana Yaima has been arrested and now is under the custody of Indian authorities.
“We will be waiting for a reply from the authorities for some more days to which we sent the representations. They should response and tell us my father’s exact position. If nothing comes we will continue to fight in a democratic manner,†militant leader’s son said.
The family is now weighing the option of moving the court to know what really happened if the authorities continued to deny the arrest and maintained silence over the matter.
Though the authorities in New Delhi and Imphal denied any knowledge of Sana Yaima’s arrest, the UNLF claimed their leader was arrested from Dhaka by RAW and Bangladesh authorities on September 29.
