IMPHAL, Jan 15: Suspected supporters of the 48 hours long general strike called by the JAC against the brutal killing of Dr N Kunjabihari set ablaze a Tata magic for defying the general strike called by the JAC against the inaction of the Ibobi led SPF government concerning their demands of handing over the case of the brutal killing of the Dr N Kunjabihari to CBI for investigation and arresting the culprit who killed Dr. Kunjabihari.
The incident happened today at around 10:20 am at Langthabal Pal ahanbi, when the tata magic carrying passengers from Imphal was approaching Lilong. The vehicle with the registration no MN 04 3091 was totally charred, however the passenger on board the tata magic along with the driver fled from the scene leaving the vehicle in the hands of the strike supporters.
However fire tenders who arrived on the scene managed to doused the fire before the Tata magic van was totally razed. The vehicle has been picked up by Kakwa police.
In the aftermath of the burning of the Tata magic, police personnel including Imphal west district commando alongwith Singjamei Police opened the Highway and provided security along the Singjamei stretch of the highway and provided free movement of vehicles along the stretch.
However angered with the police action the general strike supporters turned their wrath on the Liwa road which runs along the Manipur University boundary and started burning tires on the road.
Following the intensification of the agitation by the JAC, resorting to arsoning, the police has used tear gas shell and mob bomb to disperse the irate protesters and neutralized the tension, while the protesters putt up a tough fight resorting to stone pelting and catapult against the police.The police said that 2 bandh supporters have been arrested on charges of arsoning and security has been beefed up between the stretch from Kakwa bazaar and Manipur University on the Imphal-Moreh section of National Highway 39.
Other than the few incidents including the burning of the Tata magic there were no other reports of any other untoward incident happening during the general strike which according to the JAC will be continued till 6:30pm of the evening of January 16.
Family members and the JAC have refused to take the dead body of the deceased till today due to the failure of the government to provide any positive response to their demands.
In the meantime police personnel including SDPO Singjamei and Dy SP Imphal visited the Singjamei stretch of the Highway and appealed to the strike supporters not to act in such violent ways which could only worsen the situation.
Meanwhile it may be reminded that general strike supporters had set ablaze a Maruti van yesterday evening and police personnel had arrested eight individuals suspected to be strike supporters.
However after the incident of the burning of the Tata magic today evening by strike supporters, the police strengthen their preventive measures along the Imphal Moreh strtch of NH 39 and guarded the highway from any strike supporters from attacking the NH.
