IMPHAL, Jan 13: A personnel of 4th IRB was shot dead by a combined team of Imphal West district Police commandos and personnel of 30th Assam Rifles at Lambal village under Lamshang police station this early morning and recovered one 9mm pistol with one magazine loaded with five rounds and one Chinese hand grenade from the deceased possession.
According to an official source, the incident occurred when the combined security forces on getting specific information of the presence of some armed UGs at the Lambal village of Lamshang area and were trying to attack workers of some candidates, carried out a swift operation in the area in the wee hours.
The security forces spotted some three/four unidentified youths walking in suspicious manner, around 4 am this early morning, however when signaled to stop for verification, one of them started firing towards the security forces, the source said.
Retaliatory fire resulted in an exchange for about five minutes at the spot.
The source said the unidentified suspected armed militants escaped taking advantages of darkness of the area.
However after the encounter while searching the area, security forces recovered one bullet ridden dead body of a suspected militant and recovered one 9mm pistol conataining one magazine loaded with five live rounds and one Chinese hand grenade from his person.
The Lamshang police was informed of the incident early this morning and the dead body was picked from the spot and the brought to RIMS morgue for the identification.
Thereafter, the deceased youth was identified by the family this morning at RIMS morgue and he was revealed to be Thongam Bunbung, 37, son of Th Jatra of Kwakeithel Thounoajam Leikai.
According to family sources, he is a Rifleman of 4th IRB and presently staying at home with his wife and children. He was earlier bailed out from jailed after he was arrested by the police on the charged of nexus with the underground KCP.
Refuting the charge of encounter, his family said the deceased was picked up by three unidentified persons suspected to be police commandos from his residence in the wee hour around 2am.
In the meantime, in connection with the killing, the local public of Kwakeithel Thounoajam Leikai have convened a protest meeting at their local club and formed a JAC.
Later the local meirapaibis and relatives of the deceased came out on the Tiddim road and stage a protest by blocking half the road at Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai along the Tiddim road this afternoon around 3pm.
The demonstrators held placards carrying the slogans, like ‘we strongly protest the killing of persons who have already returned to normal life’ ‘we demanded punishment of the involved security forces in the killing incident’ etc.
In the meantime, the two suspected militants who were shot dead by the combine team of district police commandos of Imphal East and Imphal west 18th Sikh Regiment at Tabungkhok village came to identified by the families this morning.
The deceased were identified as Ningthoujam Puni, 28, son of N Muhindro of Keibi Makha Leikai and Thingujam Bheigya, 37, sone of late Komol of Nongada Thongkhong.
According to family source deceased Puni had left his house around 7 am yesterday morning and the deceased Bheigya left his house around 4pm yesterday evening, he was survived by his wife and two children and he was reportedly arrested once by the security forces on charge of nexus with the UGs.
The dead bodies of the both deceased were handed over to the respective family by the police after post mortem at RIMS morgue this afternoon.