UNC president Gaidon Kamei and its publicity secretary Sankhui Stephen have been remanded to police custody for 14 days by Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Senapati.
The duo was produced before the duty magistrate late last night at Tangkhul Avenue around 10 pm.
They were slapped with charges under section 147/149/436/427/34 IPC and would be produced before the CJM Senapati on December 8.
A case has been registered by the Mao police station under FIR NO. 12 (11) 2016 Mao P/S.
It has been informed that under the provision 436 IPC the accused if convicted can face sentence up to 10 years in jail. The section is non-bailable.
The sections lodged against them includes for rioting, causing damage to properties, common intent, mischief by fire or explosive to cause damage etc.
Although the case falls under the jurisdiction of Mao, the arrested UNC leaders are currently kept under the custody Imphal Police station.
Following the arrest of its president and information secretary, the UNC convened a meeting at Senapati district head quarter.
The meeting was attended by various Naga frontal organizations and tribe leaders.
Speaking to IFP an executive member of the UNC informed that the meeting resolved to serve 48 hour ultimatum to state government to release their leaders unconditionally failing which any consequences should be borne by the Manipur Government.
“Naga issue on land or historical rights are political issue and we the Nagas under any circumstances will not accept the plot of Manipur government to drag it into legal tangle”, said the UNC leader.
A press release by the UNC corroborated this assertion and said the Naga struggle is a political issue and will not be allowed to be reduced to a legal one.
The UNC leader further told IFP that recent attempt of the Manipur Government, clandestinely planning to announce Sadar Hills to a full-fledged district in total disregards of the four memorandums signed between the UNC and the government is nothing but an insult to the Nagas, he opined.
The UNC leader further informed that even though the total shutdown imposed in all Nagas area in protest against the arrest of UNC president and information secretary, the economic blockade will be effective.
Source: Imphal Free Press
