IMPHAL, May 25: Police today rounded up around seven student activists of various state student organizations while the students were on a drive against commodities imported into the state from Karnataka.
Separate teams of student bodies comprising of the AMSU, KSA, DESAM, SWAK, SUK, MSF were on a drive against the imported commodities as announced earlier by the student bodies against the slow progress of the investigation in the Richard murder case.
The students were rounded up by the city police from Thangal and Paona Bazar area. The seven were however released late in the evening around 9pm.
The seven students have been identified as AMSU volunteers Soibam Bidyananda, AMSU Imphal East vice president, Huidrom John, KSA volunteer Laishram Priyobarta, SWAK publicity secretary Aribam Janki Nath, SWAK organisation secretary LD Yunus, DESAM IW secretary Games and Sports Nongthombam Mangijao, DESAM deputy finance secretary/HO Thiyam Birjit.
Meanwhile the student bodies later convened a press briefing at AMSU Headquarter on the arrest of the seven student activists.
Speaking to media persons, AMSU president Th Suresh has demanded unconditional release of the student activists at the earliest.
He further continued that the student bodies will continue with the drive against the imported commodities till the Richard murder case is handed over to the CBI.
He further lamented that the silence of the government even after the student bodies have been staging different forms of agitations as unfortunate.
He further appealed to the students and Manipuris staying outside of the state not to panic.
He also expressed that the state student bodies are only highlighting the plights of the students staying outside and the agitations of the students have no implications of any ill towards any state.
Meanwhile, the students had set on fire some of the commodities collected from several shops.