IMPHAL, July 11: Kakchingtabam Kunjabihari Sharma, 72, from Thongju Part-II in Imphal East, who has begun an indefinite hunger strike from July 6 demanding the implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the state, has been put in chains while doctors at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) began administering him glucose saline.
IFP this evening interviewed Kunjabihari who has been admitted to Bed No. 4 of Male Medicine Ward of JNIMS, Porompat since July 9. He was found lying on the hospital bed with his left ankle handcuffed and again locked with a large chain over his bed. He was being administered with glucose saline.
He told IFP that he has been chained by the police since his admission to the ward. He was forcibly administered different kind of injections without informing him.
Kunjabihari maintained that he has been on hunger strike without even drinking water for the sake of the people of Manipur. He said that the chains were removed if he wanted to go to toilet.
IFP found out that a large screen was put up near his bed to prevent visitors of other patients in the ward from seeing his pathetic condition.
Nurses at the male medicine ward informed that KB Sharma has been administered with DNS (Glucose Saline) since July 10. A team of doctors led by HOD of Medicine Department Dr Th Biren is looking after the condition of KB Sharma. Dr Lokeshwor, Dr Arun and Dr Achouba are also part of the team.
75 ml of glucose saline was administered to him for every one hour and as a result three bottles were used yesterday. Electrocardiogram (ECG) of KB Sharma has been recorded and his blood pressure was found to be at 130/90 at 8 am in the morning today, the nurses disclosed.
A team of armed police personnel of Porompat Police Station led by an ASI have been guarding KB Sharma in the male medicine ward. However, the police officer on duty said that he had no knowledge whether KB Sharma was on judicial remand or not.
It may be mentioned that KB Sharma was arrested by a team of Singjamei Police in the intervening night of July 7 and 8 from Kwakeithel Akham Leikai Community Hall on charge of commit suicide under Section 309 of Indian Penal Code.
He was remanded to judicial custody after he refused to take bail while he was produced before the Judicial Magistrate 1st Class (JMIC), Imphal West.
