IMPHAL, Feb 2: Decrying the arrest of one Class XII student of the Wangoi Higher Secondary School student by a combine team of 12 Maratha Light Infantry and 23 Assam Rifle, identified as Potsangbam Netaji son of P. Ibohal of Wangoi Longjam Leikai on mid-night of January 28, the All Manipur Students Union called a press conference today and demanded from the concerned authorities to release him unconditionally at the earliest possible in interest of the student community and family of the arrested student.
The union further warned of various forms of agitation incase of failure of the authorities to release the arrested student.
The student’s union president Romen Leisangthem while briefing media person at the union’s head office in the presence of family members of the student, on the issue has further condemned the arrest of an innocent student under the AFSPA act.
P Ibecha, mother of Netaji maintained that the security personnel failed to provide any reason while arresting her son; however they later handed over her son to the Wangoi PS on January 30 calling him a cadre of the proscribed UNLF.
She further added that her student is a student of class XII with his board exams starting from March 16 and is not related to any militant outfits and further condemned the security forces for disturbing the lives of a normal family by listing her son as militant cadre.
In the meantime, the Peoples’ Protection Development Committee, PPDC Wangoi has also refuted the charges leveled by security forces on Potshangbam Netaji, while maintaining that Netaji is an innocent student who is preparing for his Class XII board exam
A statement from the PPDC has appealed to the concerned authority to released Netaji considering the approaching examination.
It said that Netaji was arrested on January 25 by individuals dressed in black outfit in the midnight from his residence after which his whereabouts remained untraceable. Later after painstaking effort to trace he was informed to be at Mayang Imphal Telecom.
The following day in the evening around 3 pm he was later informed to be handed over to the Wangoi Police station by army personnel. The army personnel in the local dailies highlighted wrong reports stating that Netaji was a cadre of UNLF and he being arrested in an operation.
While terming the act of the army personnel as one of the most unfortunate one and condemning it, PPDC, said that Netaji is general secretary of Wangoi Hihger secondary School, added the release.
