IMPHAL, May 21: Amidst protests and closing down of the offices of political parties with regard to Loitam Richard case in Imphal, the Karnataka government has reportedly assured Manipur BJP leaders that the post-mortem would be re-examined by an independent forensic outside the state.
State BJP president S Shantikumar Sharma met with Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and home minister R Ashok this afternoon in Bangalore.
Meanwhile, student bodies of Manipur continue to lock up the offices of political parties in Imphal against state apathy towards the murder cases of Loitam Richard in Bangalore this year and Okram Laba in Chennai last year.
Today, student activists locked up the offices of Trinamool Congress, MSCP and NCP.
The BJP leader Shantikumar Sharma left Imphal yesterday to approach the Karnataka legislative members regarding the case of Loitam Richard alleged murder case.
Shantikumar told IFP over phone that he met both the Karnataka leaders today and conveyed the demands of the Manipuri public particularly the students’ community.
He appealed to CM Sadananda Gowda to re-examine the post mortem report of the Victoria Hospital as certain doubts have been raised.
“I suggested that the medical reports and forensic analysis and conclusions should be re-examined by an independent team preferably by a team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)”, he said.
He further mentioned that the CM and home minister had assured him and that the suggested measures will be carried out as soon as possible.
It may be mentioned that the final report of the cause of death in Richard’s case remained undetermined which was carried out at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore.
In this regard, student bodies and the Justice for Richard campaign have voiced that a CBI investigation be carried out to verify the causes and the factual incident leading to Richard’s death.
Spokesperson of the 7 students’ bodies Thoithoi of Desam told newsmen at the headquarters of Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK) at Kwakeithel that the agitations will continue till the cases are handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He said, the ban on the functioning of political parties will continue.
Student activists had stormed the offices of Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party , Manipur Peoples Party and Communist Party of India Saturday last.
As a part of the agitation, student activists today burnt the effigies of Karnataka CM Sadananda Gowda, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram at Keishampat Sega Road and Keishampat Mutum Leirak.