IMPHAL, Jan 24: The incident of December 22 last year where a woman was allegedly set ablaze by her husband after pouring Kerosene has turned out to be a fake with the woman leveling the charges on her husband with an eye on his property.
Local neighbours have further claimed the incident to be a property related drama enacted by the woman’s family.
According to several eyewitnesses and neighbours, the woman identified as Sapam Ibemcha, 27, of Khongjom Sapam Sabal Leikai had leveled the charge on her husband Sapam Jiten (a Nepali), 35, adopted son of Luke Sapam after learning that he had eloped with another younger girl of the same locality.
Several eyewitnesses verified against the woman today in a press conference held today at the Manipur Press Club organized by the Khongjom Circle Meira Paibis Forum at around 1 pm.
Speaking to mediapersons during the press conference, W Mocha, a neighbour of the family has stated that there was no such incident as setting the woman ablaze by the husband on that fateful day. Recreating his view of the said day, he maintained that on that fateful evening as he was returning home after arranging loud speakers for a Swasti puja in the locality, he heard a woman’s voice crying for help from the concerned family, however on reaching the house he saw some pieces of woman’s clothing burning and lying scattered around the room.
He further maintained that even though he failed to see the burnt body of the alleged victim, he met her father who told him that Ibemcha has been taken inside another room by her sister in law inside the house and that she is severely burnt.
Robindro Singdham, another neighbour and local relative of Ibemcha maintained that on the fateful evening of December 22, 2010 Ibemcha with her husband had gone to Kakching police station to sign an agreement between the husband and wife after Jiten had eloped with another younger girl. However the husband Jiten came back alone without Ibemcha, after which Jitendra along with his children came to Robindro’s place.
However on hearing that Ibemcha had returned from the Kakching PS, Jiten left for Ibemcha’s home.
He further maintained that after a gap of some minutes after Jiten had left his place, he heard some women crying for help from Ibemcha’s home on which being a neighbour he went inside to enquire about the incident at which he met Parvati-Ibemcha’s mother and Manileima-Ibemcha’s elder sister who told him that Jiten tried to strangulate Ibemcha. He has also claimed that he went inside the house on hearing that but saw Jiten standing on the threshold and even talked to him but Jiten denied any knowledge of the incident while claiming that eloping with the second girl was his only fault at which he came out. However, when he came out of the house he saw some clothes burning in the courtyard which he had not seen while going inside the house. He asked the two women what it was on which the two replied that Jiten tried to set Ibemcha on fire. He further added that he even chided the two women for making contradictory claims.
Babini Chingtham, a neighbour sister in law of Ibemcha who also went along with the family members to the hospital on that fateful evening while belying the alleged claim of Ibemcha and her family maintained that Ibemcha received no burn injuries although her family had claimed that Jiten had poured Kerosene on her body before setting her on fire. She further maintained that the alleged victim had complained of a burning sensation on her chest, but was discharged the very next morning from the hospital.
Nirmala Mutum, secretary Khongjom Circle Meira Paibis Forum while endorsing the previous statements maintained that the said incident was a result of Ibemcha’s greed for Jiten’s property which Jiten had already transferred in the name of his three daughters and one son.
Further denying the charges leveled against the Forum by the JAC against the Kerosene burning and Torture to Sapam Ongbi Ibemcha formed in the aftermath of the incident of hiding a non local and helping him, she further maintained that the forum is working only on humanitarian ground.
