Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 27:
Intensifying its ban on tobacco products, the proscribed outfit RPF today penalised a Mithamana trader by pumping bullets on both his thighs for smuggling in the same to the State.
The driver of the bus in which the Mithamana was being smuggled was also punished with 10 whips.
The penalised Mithamana smuggler has been identified as Pawankumar Gupta (19) s/o Rameshkumar of Maphia village of Banares in Uttar Pradesh but presently staying in a rented house at Charhajare in Senapati district.
The driver of the bus, Silverline Travels bearing registration no.MN01/1254 in which the Mithamana had been smuggled in is identified as Khomdram Lokeshore (25) s/o Shantikumar of Senjam.
He was given 10 whips as punishment for his involvement.
Before executing the pronounced penalty, both of them were paraded in front of mediapersons somewhere in Imphal West District.
Speaking at the occasion, a spokesperson of the outfit said Pawankumar and Lokeshore were penalised for defiance of the ban imposed on tobacco products including Mithamana.
They were rounded up on receipt of information that a bus from Dimapur had left for Imphal along with the smuggled goods.
The bus had left Dimapur at around 8 pm of November 25 ad arrived at Imphal yesterday morning.
The Mithamana consignment was found concealed inside the cartons of the Komkwa Mana, the spokesperson disclosed, adding that around 1000 Mithamana seized from the bus were subsequently destroyed by setting on fire.
Before interception of the bus, Pawankumar had already diverted some of the Mithamana at places like Motbung, etc, the spokesperson said.