IMPHAL, April 2: Decrying the assault of a 13 year old by suspected Kuki militants at Henbung village, foothills of Koubru on March 31, a sit in protest was held today at Mayang Imphal Maibam Leikai, the locality of the student.
The student has been identified as Sagolsem Sageinganba, 13 son of Yaima Mayang Imphal Maibam Maning leikai a Class VII student of Sanatombi High School, Mayang Imphal.
According to Sageinganba who was brought out at the sit in protest venue to meet with media persons said that he had accompanied the principal of his school and his family for a pilgrimage to Koubru on March 31.
The principal had rented two Tata Sumos for his Koubru pilgrimage. One of the vehicles, belong to Sageinganba’s father and he had went along but was supposed to stay at the foothills.
Speaking to media persons, he informed that after reaching the foothills, the principal and his family had gone up the hill, while he had stayed behind along with the drivers of the two vehicles.
After sometime, the two drivers left in one of the vehicles to get food from Motbung bazar, while he remained with his vehicles.
As he was staying inside the vehicle, four individuals came along and after identifying themselves as Kuki militants started to abused him. They started him asking irrelevant questions including which militant outfit he is from, when he answered that he is not a militant, the four started asking him if he had the key of the vehicle and if he had a mobile phone, but he replied in the negative.
The four started physically assaulting him and even used derogatory and communal statements , but he managed to escaped from there and went in the direction of Motbung bazar, he met his driver and the other driver along with a woman and a man coming back after buying food.
He told them about the incident at which the woman and the man said that it would be okay and let them handle the situation.
Further narrating his ordeal at the hands of the suspected Kuki militants, the 13 year old boy stated that after going back to the spot, the four again identified him and again started to assault him, however the woman and the man did not say a thing.
The four then took him in a nearby jungle and again assaulted him using sticks, he however managed to escape from there again and while on the run met with the son of a village chief, who went after the four individuals, but the four managed to escape, he further alleged.
Later on after meeting his driver, he was taken to the Sekmai PHC, from where he was referred to be taken to Imphal and was admitted to Raj poly-clinic for treatment.
Meanwhile, during the sit in protest, locals demanded a police outpost at the Koubru foothills as the Koubru is a sacred place for the Meitei community and as it is visited as a place of pilgrimage every year by the community. Every year, such incidents that could have negative effect on the communal co-inhabitants are also reported from the place, they added.
The sit in protest was attended by both students of the Sanatombi High School, Mayang Imphal and locals.