IMPHAL, January 22: Assam Rifles tortured and harassed the innocent villagers in the aftermath of the January 14 Machi Lamkhai incident where proscribed PLA militants attacked the Assam Rifles, says Kuki Student`s Organization.
A press statement issued by secretary, information and publicity, Kuki Student`s Organization ( KSO) Chandel said that a joint team of Kuki Chiefs Association (KCA) Machi & Tengnoupal Block along with the Kuki Students` Organisation Chandel District visited villages located nearby the incident yesterday following a report of harassing innocent villagers by the Assam Rifles aftermath of the January 14 incident of Machi Lamkhai.
Among the villages visited by the team, Semang village bears the harassment of the Indian Forces and the villagers were detained day and night. On 17th January, the commanding officer of 20 Assam Rifles along with his jawans came to the village and accused the village chief and the villagers of helping the militants who carried out the attack after frisking every household of the village, said the statement.
The commanding officer threatened the village chief to produce the persons involved in helping the militants despite the village chief and his villagers told them they were innocent. They kept the village authority chairman and secretary in their custody for whole day long without even allowing them to attend the call of the nature, it alleged.
The statement further accused the CO and his jawans of forcibly taking a photograph of a villager along with an IV drip set which was used by a weak and aged woman of the village.
While condemning the Assam Rifles for torturing and creating fear psychosis among the villagers, the statement also appealed the Assam Rifles not to continue such brutal and coward act against innocent villager in the future when such unwanted incident happened upon them.
Besides condemning the particular militant group for conducting such activity the statement also appealed all armed group not to repeat such activity in the Kuki area as the people of the area want peace not unrest.