Asem Bhakta Singh, Special Correspondence North East
Imphal: (Waari Singbul Network) A 32-year-old man was gunned down allegedly by a Manipur Rifles (MR) personnel at a police commando outpost at the Leingangpokpi area in Jiribam on Monday night, sending shockwaves to the western most district of the state bordering Assam.
Denouncing the incident, an irate mob on Tuesday vandalized the house of the cop identified as Loitam Arunta Singh at Yairipok Bamon Leikai in Thoubal district. Police sources said that Arunta is a rifleman of 5 MR and is attached to the police commando unit.
Though the motive behind the killing is yet to be established immediately, the deceased – Oinam Gandhi Singh (32) of Charangpat Bengi Mamang Leikai in the same district- was supposed to move to Imphal from Jiribam by road on Monday, but he missed the trip, sources said, adding that later he visited the outpost to meet one of his relatives.
Around 8.20 pm, the deceased had a dinner at the outpost and a gunshot was heard, and before long, the lifeless body of Gandhi was lying in a pool of blood there, the sources added.
Gandhi was ostensibly gunned down by Arunta with his service weapon, an AK 47 rifle. His body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Jiribam district hospital for autopsy.
Personnel of Jiribam police station arrested Arunta, seized his service weapon and registered a case against him for taking necessary legal actions.
Meanwhile, angry locals of Charangpat area formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) against Gandhi’s killing and submitted a memorandum to chief minister N Biren Singh though the deputy commissioner ( Thoubal) , seeking termination of Arunta from his service and taking up exemplary legal action against him.
It demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the bereaved family and a government job to the next of kin of the deceased.
Until and unless the demands are complied with by the government, Gandhi’s body would not be claimed, cautioned the local pressure group.
