Two more non-local men shot dead in Imphal
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 01 2009: Hardly 24 hours after a non-Manipuri barber was shot dead at Sagolband area, unidentified gunmen shot dead two non-locals today including a sugarcane juice seller in broad daylight at Kwakeithel Bazar and a porter at about 7.50 pm at Chinga Makha Phura Makhong.

According to police, the Kwakeithel incident took place at about 12.10 pm with the assailant opening fire from point blank range while the non-local was taking shelter under a roadside tree with his hand-cart stationed nearby.

Protest demonstration staged against the killing of Suresh

The deceased is identified as one Rajkumar Choudhury (18) s/o Ramnath from Bihar's Buxar district but staying at a rented quarter along with his uncle in Kwakeithel Akham Leikai.

Quoting eyewitnesses, a police source informed that three persons, including the driver came in an auto-rickshaw with one person out of two alighting from the passenger seat with a small arm and shooting Rajkumar on the head.

While Rajkumar died on the spot the assailants after committing the crime, fled from the scene in the same autorickshaw towards the Kwakeithel-Sayang road.

A commando team reportedly arrived at the scene soon after and trailed the perpetrators but there is no information of any arrest in connection with the killing.

The victim of the second incident is yet to be officially identified but is expected to be one Sarajeevan (40) of Bihar.

According to reports the assailant/s broke open the gate of the house and came in calling out for one Joker Bhaiya.

The victim was found shot dead on his bed with two bullet wounds in the rented room which he shared with Joker Bhaiya (Shyam Shankar) and another identified as Sushil.

Shyam Shankar is a cart puller while Sushil is also a porter.

The landlord is identified as as Pukhrambam Mema.

According to SSP (Imphal West) L Kailun security measures have been beefed up at many Imphal district areas where non-locals reside.

Subsequently police patrolling have been increased and security personnel have been directed to maintain vigil at outlying areas of the capital city, the SSP said while disclosing that section of non-Manipuri traders and public leaders expressed their concern on the recent spurt in criminal activities against non-locals.

Meanwhile, members of the manipur Barber Association staged a protest demonstration at Rup Mahal Tank of BT Road today in denunciation of the killing of a barber (Suresh Thakur) at Sagolband Bijoy Govinda area yesterday.