Manipur News

IMPHAL, January 7: Two leaders of the United Revolutionary Front, URF Manipur were killed yesterday morning in what the police claimed was an encounter.

Bishnupur district SP N Herojit Singh further claimed during a press meet held later in the day that the two were involved in the two deadly IED blasts of December 15 at MG Avenue and December 21 at Khuyathong.

The slain militant leaders have been identified as Finance secretary, URF (Manipur) Keithellakpam Tiken Singh, 45, son of (L) K Anganghal Singh of Naorenmthong Khullem Leikai and the outfit`™s Home secretary Puyam Ruhini Meitei alias Mungyamba, 50, son of (L) P Indu Singh of Khurai Chingangbam Leikai.

The alleged shootout occurred around 11:30 am yesterday inside a private residence at Kwakta Khuman Makha Leikai.

Local sources said the house belongs to Md Mujibur Rehman, 28 who is a personnel of the India Reserve Battalion.

Locals also said that the involved police and commando personnel seem to be completely aware of the location and environment of the house as they didn`™t seek any direction from the locals while approaching the house.

It is also learnt that soon after the police team went into the house, locals heard some gun-shots and found the two persons dead.

One was found lying on the threshold of the house, while the other was killed near the latrine, informed sources.

The locals also said that the two could have been staying at the residence since some days back.

Meanwhile, soon after the incident additional police teams arrived at the spot and conducted a search operation after blocking entry of civilians.

After the conduct of inquest by the Forensic experts and police enquiry, the two bodies were deposited at the RIMS mortuary.

Later around 7pm yesterday, the Bishnupur district SP N Herojit Singh called a press conference at the office of the OC Cdo.

He said on getting information about the presence of some armed militants at the residence of Md Mujibur Rehman, a team of the district police and commandos led by additional SP/ IW Vikramjit and additional SP/ BPR Manjit Singh the operation to flush out the militants was conducted.

The two police officers were also assisted by OC/ Cdo Imphal West inspector P Sanjoy Singh and OC/ Cdo Bishnupur inspector Sadananda and other personnel, he said.

The SP also claimed that the police team was fired upon by the two militants on approaching the residence, which made the police team to retaliate, killing both of them.

Two 9mm pistols, one Chinese hand grenade and a demand letter among other things were recovered from the two, he told the media persons. However, the recovered items were not displayed during the press conference.

Meanwhile, family members have identified the two bodies today at the RIMS mortuary.

Speaking to media persons at the RIMS morgue today, Tiken`™s family members said he had been detained under the National Security Act after his arrest at Guwahati in the past.

He has a son and a daughter, the family members said adding that after a long stay at home he left on September 27, 2014 and never returned again.

On the other hand, Ruhini`™s family said he had celebrated Ningol Chakkouba last year at his home.

Ruhini had started living by growing vegetables and rearing fish at home, they said adding that he suddenly went away last year and then never returned.

It is also learnt that even after the family members had identified the bodies and the Lamphel Police Station has being informed, post mortem examination of the two bodies were not conducted as the concerned investigation officer had failed to turn up till late evening.

It may be mentioned that the URF, Manipur was formed during a two-day joint meeting of the KCP/MTF- Sunil Meitei, KCP/ MC- Chingkheingamba and KCP/ MC- Lanheiba Meitei held on September 9 and 10, 2011.

The outfit had signed a MoU with the State government and Centre on February 13, 2013 during which slain Ruhini was one of the three representatives of the outfit signing the deal.

Later after staying at the Loitang Khunou designated camp, the outfit slipped out and had gone underground again on September 22, 2014.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/police-claim-killing-urf-leaders-involved-in-dec-2013-ied-blasts/

IMPHAL, January 7: Families of the Involuntarily Disappeared Association, Manipur and Human Right Alert have, today, withdrawn their Public Interest Litigation filed last year with the liberty to file a fresh one as and when required.

This was stated by HRA director Babloo Loitongbam in a press meet at the Manipur Press Club this afternoon.

He said a division bench constituted by Chief Justice Luxmi Kant Mohapatra and Justice Nobin Singh of the Manipur High Court heard the PIL as item number 2 at court number 1. During the hearing, the Advocate General placed relevant government files disclosing that the State cabinet has decided to hand over the matter to CBI on December 29 last year.

FIDAM has noticed that even after nine days, the government has not issued the gazette notification which is the first step towards handling over the case to the CBI, he said, adding that even after due notification and consent by the State government, the Central government under section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act should also issue a notification under section 5 of the same Act.

The court asked us to withdraw the PIL as the state government has decided to hand over the whole investigation to the CBI. In that condition, we withdrew the PIL today, he said.

Babloo said many prosecution sanction were demanded from the Union Home Ministry in relation with cases of disappearance of people after their abduction by security forces. But the Home Ministry has informed us to take permission from the Defence Ministry.

They are yet to respond to a prosecution sanction demand made in the case of Yayep Ali who disappeared in 1999. Regarding this particular case, the High Court had asked for an enquiry on May 18, 2005 but till date there has been no finding as reported by his brother, Md Baniyamin. So there is no hope even after the promise of a CBI investigation because this matter will cool off and finish without any real finding.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/fidam-hra-withdraw-pil-in-skull-recovery-case/

CHANDEL, January 7: A man from Guwahati who was staying at his wife`™s parental home to attend to his brother in law`™s marriage has been allegedly abducted along with his wife late last night by armed persons suspected to be security forces personnel from Tonsen Khullen Village, Chandel under Sugunu Police.

Sources identified the man as Gopal Poddar alias T Gopal, 34, son of (L) Rajaram Poddar of Guwahati and his wife as Jenevic Kom daughter of T Daijobsing of Tonsen Khullen.

According to sources, around 10:30 pm after the marriage ceremony ended, armed persons in civilian dresses broke into Jenevic`™s parental home and took away the husband and wife duo.

They had come to attend the marriage ceremony of Tellien Alister Kom elder brother of Jenevic.

Speaking to media persons this morning, T Daijobsing said the family and all relatives who were present at their residence to attend the marriage were sleeping when they were awakened by forceful knockings on their front door around 10:30 pm yesterday.

He said he first enquired as to who it was at which a person speaking Manipuri said they wanted to drink water and asked him to open the door.

When he told them to come in the morning as it was too late and that he wouldn`™t open the door, the unidentified persons broke open the door and entered, and then started to threaten his family members at gun points Daijobsing said.

The armed persons than started searching for his son in law Gopal Poddar and dragged him and his wife from the bed where they were sleeping with their three-year old daughter, he continued.

They even broke open the door to the room of the newlyweds and entered showing no respect, he said.

The armed persons then took away both the husband and wife in two vehicles which were already parked outside on the road, he said alleging that they had tortured his daughter and her husband in front of their young daughter.

He said the family has reported the case to the Sugunu Police Station.

Both the police and the 22 Assam Rifles post located nearby have already denied their involvement, he said appealing to all concerned to release his daughter and son in law at the earliest without any conditions.

The authorities should investigate and award befitting punishment to all those found involved in the crime, he said.

Meanwhile, Tonsen Khullen Village Authority and meira paibi have strongly condemned the incident.

Speaking to media persons, T Bijoy Kom, chief of Tonsen Khullen said that the act of forcibly intruding into a private residence and abducting a father and mother in front of their little girls is highly condemnable.

He said all right thinking individuals and organisations should condemn such barbaric act.

The village chief further said that the police or the Assam Rifles or any armed group should inform the village authorities before searching any house inside the village.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/man-allegedly-kidnapped-from-wifes-parental-home/

IMPHAL, January 7: Despite the recent uproar over inordinate delay in delivery of a mail to an addressee in Ukhrul, Speed Post, the government owned courier service in the state continues to be erratic with impunity.

The Imphal head office of the service is currently in a glut of undelivered mails and parcels, some of them weeks old.

The Imphal Head Office claim this unmanageable backlog at its office currently is on account the Kolkata NHS suddenly releasing several weeks mail all at once after holding them up for two weeks at the Airport.

An addressee complained to IFP that a set of books purchased from online retailer Amazon India on December 19 by her father has still not reached her.

Using the internet parcel tracking facilities of both Amazon India and India Post, the parcel is indicated as booked with the Kadugodi Extension SO in Karnataka on December 20.

The track events for the parcel, on the website of India Post, which boasts the capability of delivering mails and parcels anywhere in India in 24 to 48 hours, has the following details.

The parcel was booked on December 20m at 9:28am at R Kadugodi Extension SO. The bag containing the parcel was dispatched for NHS Kolkata Airport at 4:09pm the same day. The bag was received at NSH Kolkata Airport the next day, December 21, at 3:33pm. From there the bag was dispatched to NSH Imphal the same day at 7:46pm.

The delay begins thereon. The tracking facility show NHS Imphal receiving the bag on January 1, at 12:32pm, 10 days after the NHS Kolkata Airport claims it was dispatched from its office.

The question is, why was the Speed Post bag held up for 10 days in the Kolkata Airport? Or was it allowed to pile up at the NHS Imphal all the while.

The internet tracking facility shows NHS Imphal opened the bag and dispatched the parcel to Imphal H.O. on the same day at 3:59pm.

The bag was received at Imphal H.O. on January 2, at 9:44am, opened at 9:45am. January 2 is a Friday, but the having received the parcel early in the morning, the Imphal HO failed to deliver the parcel to the addressee.

The Speed Post parcel, though lying in the Imphal HO is still not delivered even after a week since it came to be in the custody of the Imphal HO.

When the addressee`™s father called the Imphal HO Speed Post department at 2452239, the lady answering the call explained it was the delay from Kolkata which has resulted in a huge piling up at the Imphal HO, and her office is frantically trying to clear the pile.

She suggested the addressee should come to the Imphal HO and collect the parcel.

Given the circumstance, this may be reasonable, but the question is should the matter be allowed to be forgotten without a proper inquiry. After all, the postal service employees are paid from public tax money, and Speed Post tariff is higher than ordinary mail or registered posts precisely because of the promise they would be delivered swiftly, the addressee said.

According to India Post`™s own advertisements, Speed Post mails are guaranteed delivery within 24 hours to most destinations in India and 48 maximum to some destinations.

Yet, nearly 20 days after this particular parcel began its Speed Post journey from Karnataka, it has still not reached its destination.

It is only to be imagined what the plights of addressees who might be waiting for urgent mails on which things as important as careers could depend.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/inordinate-delays-speed-post-mails-and-parcels-continue/

IMPHAL, January 7: The 40th Foundation Day of the Manipur Press Club is like Teacher`™s Day because the media like teachers spread information to people everywhere, stated Th Lokeshwar, the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly while speaking as the chief guest speech on January 6 at the Manipur Press Club.

The foundation day observation was organised by the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU).

He said the observation is not only meant for media persons but also includes people who came to this club to talk about their problems so that the media fraternity can disseminate their tales of woes.

Media is important in every country because they are the only means through information regarding various issues in a place can be gathered, he added.

Lokeshwar further said that listening to the story of how the Press club came into being is inspiring and that we should all be grateful to the veteran journalists who prepared the groundwork for its establishment.

He requested media houses to consider the pros and cons before publishing a story and its negative impact on people.

He also stressed that Manipur cannot become `a golden Manipur` without the contribution of media houses.

In his speech as the guest of honour, Works and Transport minister Dr Kh Ratankumar Singh said journalists of today in our state are different from journalists of two decades ago and now they have capabilities to compete with journalists of other nations as well as many national papers. All the credit must go to the senior journalist because it won`™t have been possible without their help and suggestion.

He said the press club can now be compared with press clubs of other states. However, it all boils down to the contribution made by various media houses, he added.

Sometimes, we found news-reports where reporting is done subjectively or personalised which indicates the character of the particular reporter or the media house, he said, while calling for professionalism among the media fraternity.

Veteran journalist K Madhumangol Singh said the press club was intended to be founded on December 29, 1974 but unfortunately Chief Minister of the time who was supposed to attend as the chief guest could not attend as his government collapsed and it had to be formally established on January 6, 1974.

Many problems had to be faced in those days in organsing such foundation days as the infrastructure was really poor., he said, adding that the story of how the Press club and AMWJU came into being should be published in the press club journal so new journalists can remember their struggles.

In his presidential speech, AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shamjai said that all the old furniture which were used by veteran journalists were being preserved.

He said AMWJU is trying to keep separate rooms for veteran journalists and women journalist. The guest room is completed but beds are still in the process of being assembled, he added.

Veteran journalists, DIPR officials, staffs of AIR Imphal, leaders of civil organisation and AMWJU members attended the function.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/amwju-celebrates-press-club-40th-bday/