Sangaiyumpham outrage
Public ire singe AR men, locked up
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 18: Amid high drama, Assam Rifles personnel of the 16th Bn including two officers of the rank of Major who came to arrest suspected underground activists were held captive for over 3 hours and their vehicles including a Gypsy and a Tata Sumo set aflame by infuriated local residents of Sangaiyumpham under Thoubal Police Station last night.

The remains of the charred Sumo after being pushed into a river

A police team led by the SP of Thoubal District finally rescued the Assam Rifles personnel from the clutch of the angry mob.

According to police report, on receipt of specific information about the presence of some underground elements, a combined force led jointly by Major Jitendra of 7 Assam Rifles posted at Thanga and Major Rajendra of 38 Assam Rifles posted at Thoubal launched an operation at Sangaiyumpham area at around 9 pm yesterday.

Among the Assam Rifles personnel there were some in civvies and as they tried to take away one Atau Rahman who is a candidate for as a member of the Zilla Parishad election slated to be held tomorrow, people revolted and came out with sticks and clubs to prevent the security personnel from doing so.

In order to control the situation, the Assam Rifles personnel fired several rounds to disperse the mob.

Inspite of that, the infuriated mob set on fire a Gypsy (ML05C/ 5532) belonging to 38 Assam Rifles stationed near the gate of the candidate's residence as well as another Tata Sumo stationed near the crematorium of Pulleipokpi Sangaiyumpham Part-I.The gutted Tata Sumo was later pushed down the Wangjing river.

On receiving the news, Thoubal Police Commandos led by SP Th Radheshyam rushed to the spot and tried to talk and prevailed over the agitated people to release the Assam Rifles personnel.

After over 3 hours of being held captive inside a locked room, the Assam Rifles personnel were finally set free without any harm at around 1.30 am today.

The remnants of the gutted Gypsy were retrieved by the police today morning but the Tata Sumo is still inside the river.

CO of 38 Assam Rifles Adappa and CO of 7 Assam Rifles Bahuguna also rushed in on hearing the news, but as they were not allowed to proceed, they spent the whole night at Thoubal.

Information received by the press said that without giving any information to the police, 7 Assam Rifles contacted the 38 Assam Rifles for additional forces for launching an operation in Sangaiyumpham area.

Talking to mediapersons, Atau Rahaman informed that he was in his uncle's house located adjacent to his own house on the northern side to discuss election related matter when four-five armed personnel in civvies came inside and started searching the house and later tried to take him away at gunpoint.

The intruders asked him not to shout or make any noise and dragged him.

At that time, he signalled to some of the womenfolks nearby to raise an alarm.

The shouts of the womenfolk alerted the locals.

Seeing that the Assam Rifles personnel fired several rounds inside the house as well as in the compound.

Consequently, some other security personnel who were laying in wait also came in.

Taking advantage of the situation, some of the people whisked away Atau Rahaman to a nearby house and the AR personnel were held captive in a room and locked from outside.

Only after arriving at an understanding with the Thoubal SP that the AR personnel would hand over their weapons to the commandos, the angry mob agreed to set free the AR personnel.

Police said that an additional force of AR that rushed in was not allowed to proceed further by the Commandos until the situation was completely under control.