Manipur News

IMPHAL, October 29: Irom Chanu Sharmila today said the Central government seems to have mistaken her hunger strike demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act as an attempt to suicide.

The anti-AFSPA crusader left for the national capital today, in connection with her October 30 and 31 court appearances. She was accompanied by two police personnel, a doctor and two nurses.

Sharmila will be appearing before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Patiala House in connection with case filed under FIR No 222/06 under IPC section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) filed by the Parliament Street Police Station.

Speaking to media persons at the Tulihal Imphal Airport before being led into the airport building, she said the government misperceiving her movement to be an attempt to commit suicide, has said that she would be release only if her fast ends.

She further exuded confidence, that the court will hear her prayer and understand that her movement is for the people to live in peace and harmony.

Stating that she will be put up close to the Prime Minister’s bungalow, Sharmila said the Centre being protective about the draconian Act is meaningless and unfortunate.

As the people of the North East look different from those from other regions of the country, the Indian soldiers who are mostly from outside the region have a different sentiment for the people of the region and are using the Act as a tool against the people, Sharmila asserted.

AFSPA, 1958 denies the people of the basic human rights, dignity and justice, which is regrettable in a democracy, she told the media persons.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/centre-wrong-in-perceiving-my-movement-as-suicide-attempt-sharmila/

IMPHAL, October 29: The Imphal branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) organised a workshop at its office in Lamphelpat in connection with the observance of the Vigilance Awareness Week which began on October 27 and will continue till November 1.

The workshop conducted under the theme “Combating Corruption – Technology as an enabler” was graced by CBI ACB Headquarter, head of bureau additional SP Balasubramony, additional SP, L Hangshing; inspector Gaurav and Inspector W Ashok Kumar.

Speaking to media persons, Add SP Balasubramony said “corruption in India is a major issue that adversely affects its economy. A study conducted by Transparency International in 2008 found that more than 40% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully”.

In 2012 India was ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International`s Corruption Perceptions Index, tied with Benin, Colombia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia, and Senegal. If corruption levels in India are reduced to the levels of developed economies such as Singapore or the United Kingdom, India`s GDP growth rate could increase at a higher rate.

Studies pegged the loss caused by corruption, in terms of investment, growth and jobs for India at over US$50 billion a year, he said.

He further said that to combat corruption, technology can act as an enabler such as in the case of e-governance which offers full potential to help harness transparency and reducing the drain on development caused by corruption.

Secondly, digitisation is the first step towards the use of technology and innovative models in an e-governance environment. Digitisation is a central database and the ability to get an authenticated printout of ownership from multiple points together made the process easy and corruption-free, he added.

He continued that corruption in schemes like MGNREGA can be minimised by using the unique identity (Aadhaar) to transfer funds to the beneficiary and to match worker and recipient. It can also be used in providing food (PDS) and other subsidy schemes to ensure minimal misuse, as also in transitioning, to cash transfer of subsidies.

Thirdly, e-procurement and e-auctions can be collusive in rooting out corruption. The prime target for corruption is public procurement, where corruption is most pervasive and also has more negative consequences, he said.

Public procurement may account for 45% of government expenditure and up to 20% of the Gross Domestic Product for any country. Setting aside government salaries and social service payments, public procurement accounts for the largest share of public expenditures for all levels of government, he adds.

Balasubramani continued that mobile phones and social media also play a vital role in dissemination of information. Mobile and social media can be used as an effective tool, for instant access to information about government financed projects, as well as a means of instantly reporting concerns of fraud and corruption, he adds.

He stated that India’s Right to Information movement had tremendous success in making strategic use of transparency for securing government accountability. Demanding and disseminating information are among the most used tools in the work of activist organisations in the country. Public records are typically demanded on paper and disseminated manually, making the process costly and slow, he added.

Corruption has destroyed the very moral fabric of the society as even education and Health care are not free from the disease of corruption, he laments.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/cbi-imphal-branch-conducts-workshop-for-combating-corruption/

LAMKA, October 29: With the opening of this court complex, the people of Churachandpur will have justice at their doorstep, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said while inaugurating the District and Session Court, Churachandpur complex at Tuibuang today.

During the inaugural function, the Chief Minister was accompanied by the chief justice of the Manipur High Court, justice LK Mohapatra, Health minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Works minister Dr Kh Ratankumar Singh, justice N Kotiswar Singh of the Manipur High Court, among others.

Elaborating on the three pillars of democracy, Ibobi said there are three branches of government, namely, the legislature which makes the laws, the executive which executes the laws and the judiciary which interpret and monitor the laws.

He said the legislature, executive and the judiciary should work in tandem in a democracy.

People should also understand and be aware that everyone including the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister are all equal in the eyes of the law.

He further appealed to the public to cooperate with the government in upkeeping the rule of law and desist from creating any disturbances during law enforcing exercises of the government.

Ibobi further assured the people of the district that his government will soon renovate the district jail for re-opening.

Justice LK Mohapatra expressing gratitude to the State government for providing the needed infrastructure for the opening of the court also exuded hope of having a session court in all districts.

He said opening of such courts in all districts will save the unnecessary expenses of the people in going to Imphal for justice.

In the next few months, he said, hopefully more such occasions of inaugurating session courts will come up to celebrate.

The Manipur High Court chief justice also said that a lawyer should be able to maintain his dignity and make themselves worthy of the public’s trust in them.

Minister Phungzathang Tonsing also spoke on the occasion.

Justice N Koteshore Singh said the opening of the court in the districts is a big leap on the judiciary aspect of the State.

It is best for the already trained and competent judge to handle judicial matters he said, adding that allowing bureaucrats to handle cases is like allowing an untrained doctor to diagnose patients.

Meanwhile, Bar Association of Churachandpur representative T Albert in his welcome speech said their happiness knew no bounds on the opening of the court, but it would be absolute only if the authority made the newly establish court to function smoothly and provide adequate staff and infrastructure.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/cm-opens-session-court-at-ccpur-assures-justice-to-public/

IMPHAL, Oct 29: The BJP, ST Morcha manipur Pradesh will be conveying an emergency meeting of the party on October 31 at the party’s office at Nityaipat Chuthek, Imphal from 11am.

The party has appealed to all concerned to attend the meeting.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/bjp-st-morcha-meeting/

LAMKA, October 29: In a shameful and disturbing turn of event in the district, three minors (two five year-olds and a four-year-old) were allegedly raped by a juvenile on two separate days.

The accused Hazuk (name changed), meanwhile, continues to remain scot free with no police case filed against him.

The victims and the accused were neighbours and were staying in rented rooms in the same locality. However, the accused and his family have shifted to a new locality, sources said.

A team of the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights- Churachandpur Chapter led by its convener and media advisor visited the victims maternal uncle’s residence in Lamka where the three victims are put up following medical examinations conducted at the district hospital.

Medical examination has proved that all three were raped with one of them undergoing penetrative sexual assault.

It is learnt that the actual assaults occurred on October 7 and 19. Sources said the accused assaulted one of the girls on October 7 and then the two others on October 19.

Soon after getting hints of the incidents, social workers, media persons and the police of the area swung into action to bring the accused out, but to no avail.

Mothers of the three young victims said they were late to report as they were unaware of anything and then one of the girls began bleeding profusely from her private parts and that was when they took her to the hospital and came to know of the incidents.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the police is yet to file any FIR regarding the case.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/juvenile-accused-of-serial-raping-minors/

IMPHAL, October 29: Mayang Imphal police arrested a 40-year-old school teacher accused of raping an eight-year-old student today.

The accused identified as assistant teacher Arambam Robindro Singh, 40, c/o A Ibomcha Singh of Bishnupur Bazar near CI College teaches mathematics in the school located on Sekmaijin Idiga Road, Hangoon Mayai Leikai.

The school has altogether 56 boarders including both boys and girls.

Sources said that on October 27 around 7pm, the accused called the class II student on the pretext that her parents were on the phone and then took her into his room and raped her.

He then threatened the eight-year old from speaking to anyone, sources said.

However, yesterday morning while she was speaking with her parents on the phone regarding her dresses for the school sports meet, the girl started weeping which alarmed her parents.

After her mother started inquiring, the girl told her everything. The parents rushed to the school without any delay and took her back. In the meantime, the assistant teacher managed to sneak away from the school but this morning he was arrested by the Mayang Imphal Police.

On the other hand, a JAC formed in connection with the incident stormed the school supported by locals and tried to dismantle the school building, however timely intervention of the police managed to thwart any violence.

Meanwhile, the Imphal West District Women Police Station has registered a case. Medical examination of the girl was conducted today at the Forensic Science Medicine, RIMS.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/teacher-arrested-on-charges-of-raping-8yearold-student/

IMPHAL, Oct 29: A 43-year-old identified as Karam Ibocouba Singh of Bishnupur Ward No: 1 was killed in a road accident this evening around 6:30 pm.

The accident occured at Thinungei area, under Bishnupur Police Station.

Sources said Ibochouba along with four other persons were homeward bound in a Maruti car after attending a wedding when the car hit a culvert and fell into a roadside ditch, killing Ibochouba.

It is learnt that the four persons have also sustained injury in the accident.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the RIMS mortuary by the police, sources added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/man-killed-in-accident/