Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 09:
Employees of Food Corporation of India, Imphal office have today earnestly appealed to the Chief Minister to release the eight FCI employees arrested on charges of deducting rice quota for militants unconditionally.
Meanwhile, JAC FCI Imphal Staff Welfare Association while taking serious note of detaining the eight officials under NSA has resolved to court arrest under the same Act on Feb 11 if the eight are not released on the same day.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Imphal had on February 7 remanded the eight FCI employees to police custody till 1 pm of Feb 11 to enable the police to investigate into the matter thoroughly.
Later the NSA was slapped against them on charges of abetting militants.
The eight including three officials were rounded up by Lamphel police police on Feb 5 on charges of deducting 10 % of rice quota meant for mid-day meal scheme for underground organisations.
Convenor of JAC W Gyanmani Singh told The Sangai Express, that the ongoing cease work strike that began from Feb 7 will continue till the arrested persons are released.
He flatly denied the charge of deducting the rice for underground outfit and said they (arrested eight) have been wrongly implicated.
A memorandum submitted by the JAC to the CM said the Govt representatives failed to lift 701 quintals of rice in 1402 packets from the FCI godown and the same were found lying till Jan 31.When the godown officials asked the Govt representatives for lifting the rice explaining them that the same were not authorised to keep beyond Jan 31, the representative requested to keep for a few more days on the plea that they have some problems in transporting them in remote hill areas.
But to utter surprise, police raided the godown on the night of Feb 5 and seized the same quantity and later arrested the eight on the fabricated charges.
The memorandum requested the CM to withdraw all detention orders passed against the eight and release them before the situation goes out of control.