Mob throngs police station after custodial death
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 15 2011:
Angry over the custodial death of a man accused of smuggling drugs, a mob attacked the Lilong police station and indulged in stone pelting, causing injuries to at least two constables and four VDF personnel on Tuesday.
Md Sirajur Rehman (30) son of Md Gajur Rehman of Lilong Haoreibi Sumbrukhong died last night around 10.30 pm at RIMS hospital where he was brought by the police for medical treatment.
Police said he fainted in the police custody.
When the news spread across the locality, hundreds of people rose up and stormed the police station shouting various slogans decrying the alleged custodial death.
In retaliation, police fired tear-gas shells to disperse the mob, it was then that the protestors stoned the police injuring two police constables and four VDF personnel.
They were admitted at the RIMS hospital.
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Police said that Sirajur was in their custody after his arrest on Sunday with one of his colleagues, Md Majibur Rehman (24) son of Md Raju of Lilong Ayangbi on last Sunday (March 13) from Lilong bazar in a joint operation with troops of 28 Assam Rifles.
A total of 4300 pieces of N10 tablets in 43 boxes and five mobile handsets were seized from the possession of the two youths who police booked under section 400 (Gang) of IPC apart from section 13(1) DC Act, alleging that apart from smuggling contraband drugs, they also indulged in extortions from shops and other business establishments at Lilong bazar posing as underground activists.
Locals said Sirajur Rehman was running a mobile handset repairing centre at Lilong bazar.
Decrying the custodial death, locals of Lilong Haoreibi Sumbrukhong from where Sirajur hailed, convened a meeting at the locality.
Charging that the youth died of excessive torture, the meeting resolved to press the government to conduct a judicial inquiry into the death and award befitting punishment to the police and AR personnel involved in the crime.
Alleging that security forces act at will under the cover of AFSPA, the meeting also resolved to demand repeal of the Act.
They also demanded adequate compensation to the family of the deceased and a government job to a member of the family.
The dead body will not be taken back until their demands are fulfilled, the meeting resolved.