IMPHAL, December 9: A sit-in-protest was staged at against the attempt by personnel of 30 Assam Rifles to arrest an individual from Kairang Awang Leikai of Imphal East district, under Heingang Police Station today. According to information, the incident took place in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday at around 12.25 am, and added that the paramilitary tried to arrest him on charge of possessing a hand grenade after setting him up.
The personnel who came along in four vehicles was led by a havildar tried to forcibly arrest Md Suleiman Shah, 49, son of late Md Ishaq who is a registered vegetable trader at 15 AR and 28 AR.
The demonstration which was participated by women folk of the area was held near the residence of the victim.
Talking to press men at his residence this afternoon, the personnel of the 30 AR, located at Nilkuthi, entered his residence asking for ‘Salim’ and ‘Sulin’. He told them that his name was Suleiman Shah. However, that did not stop the security personnel and they rummage through the bedroom. When, they could not find any unlawful items there they proceeded to the bathroom. The personnel returned back from the bathroom with a hand-grenade wrapped in a khudei. They accused Suleiman of hiding the bomb there and tried to take him away, according to Shah. At that moment, his wife Yashmin Shah, 39, came to his recue and she hold Suleiman in her arms and cried out for help from the neighbours. With the warning not to should, the personnel started to kick and hit them. After seeing the neighbors storming the place, the security personnel left the spot after ordering Suleiman to present himself at Heingang Police Station at 10 am, the following morning.
When the Pradhan of Kairang Khomidok Nurjaman Chesamayum met the officer-in-charge of Heingang PS, the latter informed that there was no record of the AR personnel handing over the grenade or making a formal report of the recovery of the grenade. The Pradhan and the victim said the case of an instance of the security personnel trying to falsely implicate an innocent citizen and asked the authorities concerned to look into the matter.
The United Social Development Committee, Kairang, Khomidok and Khabeisoi has condemned the wrongful action of the AR and asked for verification of the truth. The incident will incite hostility against the personnel and urged them not to repeat such acts.
The press meet was participated by members of Heptagon Youth Club, Khabeisoi Sabal Leikai and Kairang Khomidok Khabesoi Development Committee.