Imphal, Aug 24: The General Secretary of Threatened Indigenous People's Society, Leitanthem Umakanta was picked up by a team of Imphal West police from his residence at Porompat Thawanthaba Leikai today morning, sparking a series of protests.

The police personnel were led by the SDPO of Imphal West, Akoijam Jhalajit Singh.

According to his family members, Umakanta was picked up at about 4 am and no arrest memo was issued.


Women vendors of Lamlong Keithel staging a sit-in-protest

Moreover no incriminating documents or items were seized from him, they added.

The arrest memo was however issued to his wife when she went to the police station but the time of the arrest was given as 9.30 am in the memo, they said.

A case under Section 38/39 UAP AA CD 04 has been registered against Umakanta.

The TIPS functionary was later produced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate and he has been remanded to police custody till August 29.Significantly, Umakanta's arrest came one day after the arrest of the publicity secretary of TIPS, Thabi who was picked up by a combined team of police and Assam Rifles yesterday from his residence.

Reacting strongly against the arrests of its two functionaries, TIPS in a statement today said that it has become customary for the security forces and the police to arrest anyone and later frame charges against the arrested persons.

Stating that gross human rights violation have been committed by the security personnel under the immunity granted by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, TIPS said that to counter the excesses of the security forces, numerous human rights organisations have sprung up all over the State.

TIPS is also one such human rights organisation.

Farming charges against L Umakanta and Thabi after arresting them is not justified in any manner, it asserted.

Moreover the police is also trying to arrest the organisation secretary of TIPS, Waikhom Anand.

The arrest of the functionaries of TIPS is nothing but a gross violation of human rights, asserted the statement and added that it amounts to challenging all the human rights organisations in the State.

If the Government does not release the TIPS members in good time, then stringent form of agitation will be launched, warned the statement.

Meanwhile to condemn the arrests, commercial establishments in Khurai Lamlong Bazar areas downed shutters and a sit-in-protest was staged by women vendors of the market place against the arrests of general secretary L Umakanta and publicity secretary Y Langamba alias Thabi Meitei.

According to RK Bimola, general secretary of Lamlong Keithel Apunba Nupi Lup - under whom the protest was held, arrests of prominent members of the human rights association has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety among the masses besides leading to strong suspicion on conduct of the security forces.

Demanding that the arrested persons be released without any conditions at the earliest, she also warned of more intense agitations in case State authorities do not reciprocate positively to the demand.

Top Awang Leikai Mahila Mandal, Top Awang Leikai Lamjing Lup, Top Moirang Kampu Nupi Thoudang Lup, Top Awang Khunou Women Welfare Assn, Moirang Kampu Sajeb Women Welfare Assn and Ningthoubung Khunou Chaokhat Thourang Nupi Marup also staged dharnas to protest the arrests.

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