IMPHAL, September 25: One 407 mini truck carrying essential commodities from Imphal towards Chandel was burned down while several vehicles were damaged by bandh supporters today near Kakching Lamkhai under Kakching police station.
An indefinite Chakka bandh along the Imphal-Moreh road had been imposed by the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union decrying the attack on drivers and passengers by suspected blockade supporters on the evening of September 23 near Thamnapokpi along Imphal-Moreh road resulting in serious injury to one Tata Sumo driver who is at present admitted at the Shija Hospital in a critical condition.
In the meantime, the bandh supporters who gathered since early morning at Kakching Lamkhai today started blocking traffic on both sides of the road and prevented vehicles from passing Kakching Lamkhai.
Bandh supporters also threw rocks at vehicles trying to violate the bandh, damaging several four wheelers in the afternoon at around 3 pm.
The bandh supporters also set on fire a 407 mini truck bearing registration no MN 01 4417 which was carrying essential commodities like onion, garlic and some steel rods from Imphal towards Chandel at Khunutabi Chingjil area near Kakching Lamkhai.
Meanwhile, with the intensification of demonstration by the bandh supporters at Kakching Khunou, police personnel from Thoubal and Kakching police stations rushed into the area and dispersed the agitators using tear gases. The police also arrested 12 bandh supporters from Kakching Lamkhai.
However, hearing about the arrest of bandh supporters by the police in the evening, local woman vendors immediately closed their vendors and thronged the Kakching police station demanding unconditional release of the arrested bandh supporters. The woman vendors went back only after an assurance from the SDPO Kakching police station AG Sharma regarding the unconditional release of the arrested individuals.
Meanwhile, a bandh supporter stated that all the arrested bandh supporters were first taken over to the Thoubal district HQ and later released unconditionally in the late evening. He also informed media persons that, the indefinite bandh will be intensified further as many local clubs and other organizations of the Kakching area and even the local public of Sora have assured of their unconditional support to the bandh.
On the other hand, expecting an intensified violence during the bandh, Thoubal police and Kakching police have also enforced heavy reinforcement at the Kakching Lamkhai area to prevent any further untoward incident, stated a police source.