Imphal, Apr 6 MNS/UNA: Spontaneous response given to the statewide bandh called against the brutal murder of the female junior research fellow of RIMS’s pathology department Saturday hit normal life in Manipur.
Registering a strong protest against the murder of the 30-year old Ningombam Satyabhama Devi of Kakwa Laishram Leikai, a junior doctor at RIMS was found murdered at an open paddy field at Loumanbi Loukon under Irilbung police station of Imphal East district.
A joint action committee formed in connection with the murder of the woman called an indefinite statewide bandh in protest against the merciless murder of the woman and pressing the state government to book the culprit(s) at the earliest.
On the first day of the bandh commenced from 6 am today, it received a widespread support from the people of all work of life as market places and business establishments remained close for the day besides streets in valley areas wore desert.
All modes of transport including long distance inter-district buses and taxi services stayed off the road.
The bandh severely hit life in the twin districts of Imphal and partially in other valley districts, Thoubal and Bishnupur. However, the bandh has less impact in hill districts as except non-arrival of passenger service and commercial transport vehicles, movement of all kinds of vehicles were not disturb. All shops and other establishments remained open, reports culled out from the district headquarters said.
In valley areas, besides witnessing a sharp reduction in the traffic volume, bandh supporters took to the streets at various places and blocked movement of vehicles.
At Kawka area where the deceased woman hailed from, a large number of people took to the streets on the Indo-Myanmar section of NH-2 and blocked movement of all kinds of vehicles from early this morning before the commencement of the bandh at 6 am.
Police had a hard time to disperse the bandh supporters as they blocked at one or other place along the highway despite repeated dispersion by the police who later resorted to firing tear gas and mob dispersion bombs.
Meanwhile, the postmortem on the dead body of the woman was performed this afternoon at JNIMS hospital morgue. Local MLA of Thongju A/C, top police officials of Imphal East and West and members of JAC were present at the morgue during the process.
The MLA calmed down the members of JAC and womenfolk who gathered at the morgue with an assurance that he would press the authority at his best level to find out the culprit(s) and bring them to justice at the earliest.
However, family with the supports of the JAC refused to accept the dead body.
The JAC was pressing the government books the culprit(s) at the earliest and award of life imprisonment or capital punishment so as to check repetition of the crime against woman in the state by setting a five-day deadline to fulfill the demands.
If government failed to fulfill the demands, the JAC threatened to launch intensified forms of agitation which any untoward incident would be the sole responsibility of the government.
To submit a memorandum containing their demands, a massive rally, participated by around 3000 people was marched towards the chief minister bungalow this late evening.
However, police on duty at the bazaar area with additional reinforcement from the police headquarters blocked the rally and dispersed them as they attempted to proceed despite police convincement that chief minister has left for New Delhi this afternoon after a brief struggle.
The Shiv Sena Manipur state strongly condemned the brutal killing of Ningombam Seityabhama alias Penao (31) Kakwa Selungba Leikai.
The govt. should take up necessary legal actions to punish the killing according to a press release of Shiv Sena.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/wide-spread-protest-against-killing-of-woman/
