Imphal, March 26 2009: A youth from Maklang was reportedly arrested and later released only after subjecting to severe torture by an Army team led by two personnel of 12 Maratha Light Infantry attached with the Patsoi Police Station who were in civvies and spoke Manipuri.

The youth identified as Khuraijam Tomba alias Ngouba (28) s/o Babu of Maklang Makha Leikai was allegedly threatened to admit he is a member of the proscribed UNLF and later released after subjecting to severe torture.

Narrating the incident, Tomba said he was picked up from home by the Army team led by two MLI personnel who came in a Maruti Van with no registration number at around 2.30 pm yesterday.

At first the two MLI personnel requested for providing drinking water and one of them suddenly asked Tomba whether he has forgotten him and the time they spend together in jail.

Later on the two visitors asked for pen and paper and one of them wrote on it saying that the Army has surrounded and both of pretended to run inside the house and raised up their hands on seeing the approaching MLI troops.

However, the Army team singled him out and dragged him inside the bullet proof armour vehicle brought by the troops, Tomba informed.

However, while in the custody of the Army at the police station, the two persons who visited his house came out and started beating him up charging him and his uncle Khuraijam Ramsingh (42) as UNLF members.

When the news of his arrest spread, people of he locality who have gone to the police station were told that no arrest had been made even though he was finally released from the same police station at around 4 pm, Tomba said.

Meanwhile, the conduct of the MLI personnel in arresting Tomba who is a farmer has been strongly condemned by the Nongchup Imphal Meira Paibi Apunba Lup (NIMPAL).

Talking to mediapersons, NIMPAL president Thongam Rashi Leima observed that Manipuri youths are like the fishes being reared inside a pot today with Army personnel picking up them at their own sweet will.

In case the MLI personnel continue to indulges in such acts in the future, then a public movement for the removal of the Army post attached with the police station may not be ruled out, she warned.

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