IMPHAL, August 28: Even as justice in the alleged killing of a van driver is being awaited, an autorickshaw driver was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Senjou Lonjil Irakwa, Tangjeng Kiyam in Thoubal district this morning at around 6.
The deceased has been identified as Ayekpam Nobinchandra (55), son of (L) A Mohon Singh of Sagolband Tera Keithel Loukrakpam Leikai.
Injury marks were found on the deceased’s face, chest and neck suspected to have been pierced with pointed objects.
It is learnt from another source that a sickle was also recovered from near the spot.
Soon after getting information about the recovery of the dead body, locals of the deceased came out along the National Highway 37 Imphal Jiribam road and burnt tyres on the middle of the road.
The Auto Association, RIMS also took out a protest rally against the alleged killing of the auto driver at Sagolband.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the police were informed by locals who had found the dead body while coming out to attend to their respective agriculture activities at Senjou Konjil Irakwa around 6 this morning.
Following the information, police retrieved the dead body.
The diesel auto bearing regd number MN 01/R02021 of the deceased was found about 100 feet away from the dead body.
The auto engine was still running when the police team arrived.
The vehicle has been found registered in the name of one S (o) Tombi Devi, wife of one Salam Marjit Singh of Toubul Mayai Leikai in Bishnupur district.
The deceased is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
According to the wife of the deceased, Ayekpam (o) Leibakleima Devi who arrived at the spot on receiving information about the recovery of the body, her husband was earlier running a grocery shop and later transported rice for FCI.
After leaving his earlier jobs, he started running the diesel auto since last year, she said.
She expressed her husband’s mobile number to be 9862421811.
Elaborating further, she said her husband had informed her on August 25 around 2am that someone had called him on his phone for transportation of iron rods.
He had also turned down the offer citing the timing, she said.
The next day, he stopped his vehicle service as the vehicle needed repairing.
He left his home along with the vehicle on August 27 around 5 pm, she continued. Around 6pm the same day, he had returned to hand over vegetables and left home again never to return, she lamented.
However, on finding a missed call from his number around 8pm that day, she called him back and during the conversation, he had asked her whether dinner was ready at which she replied that it was ready and he should come back, but the line got interrupted and she couldn’t even complete her sentence, she said.
On calling back again, he failed to receive the call, even though the mobile phone was ringing, she continued.
She also said that someone had informed the family that they were at Waithou and he had a mobile, Rs 600 and some papers on his body and to come and pick him up.
Getting suspicious, the family continuously called his number, and he picked up the phone around 3am the next morning, and had in an exhausted tone said he was in a very painful condition, she continued.
When one of his daughters asked about his whereabouts so that they could come and pick him up, the line got interrupted, she lamented.
Following the recovery of the dead body, a large police team led by SP, Thoubal Dr Ak Jhaljit and OC cdo Thoubal M Sudhir arrived at the spot.
The police team, after conducting inquest of the spot along with executive magistrate and forensic expert at the spot retrieved the dead body of the deceased along with the auto rickshaw around 12.30 pm.
The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at JNIMS morgue for conducting post mortem examination and police has registered a murder case in connection with the killing. Further investigations are on according to reports.