23/7 Inquiry Commission
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 11 2009:
A new story on July 23 shooting incident which was not reported earlier has emerged when a van driver and his cousin hailing from Langmeidong of Thoubal district, who evacuated one of the five injured persons to RIMS hospital, in their statements to Justice Agarwal Commission, said that they saw a youth wearing black T-shirt fleeing from police commandos while firing from a hand gun.
Justice Agarwal Commission of Inquiry into the July 23 shooting incident today took statements of witnesses.
Two witnesses other than the injured persons, Sinam Dhaneshwor (30), son of S Iboyaima of Langmeidong Mamang Leikai Taret Khul, a van driver and his cousin Wangambam Rominchandra, son of Inaocha of Lamjao Mamang Leikai of Thoubal district, gave their statements before the Commission.
Dhaneshwor is the owner cum driver of the van bearing registration No.ML-0-4905, which evacuated one of the injured persons in the shooting incident, Pangambam Lukhoi, a personnel of 3 AR, to RIMS hospital that day.
Dhaneshwor, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said, "I saw two commando personnel standing at the side of the road (BT road) and checking a youth for any mark on his arm".
"The youth was wearing a black half shirt.
While the commando was trying to lift the black half-shirt, the young man ran away by pushing the commando.
The youth ran towards east and started firing from his fire arm," he told the Commission.
"Seeing this, I stopped my vehicle and people also started running hither and thither.
The two commandos shouted and they took out their arms and fired towards the youth.
The young man ran for certain distance and he again started firing towards the two commandos.
There after, the young man ran towards the market".
"The two police commandos started chasing the youth.
Thereafter, I started my vehicle by taking a turn and I saw an injured person.
We took him in our vehicle and dropped him at the RIMS Hospital, I met police personnel and they asked me some questions and took us to City Police Station.
The name of the injured person was P Lukhoi as told to my hospital.
I met police personnel and they asked me some questions and took us to City under Imphal West.
The police took our statements, Dhaneshwor stated in the commission.
Wangabam Rominchandra who was also travelling in the same van gave similar statement to the commission.
He said they met the incident when they come back from HRD Academy, Gari, Imphal Airport road.
Owner of the Maimu Pharmacy, Thoudam Chandrakumar where the Sanjit was shot dead also gave his statement to the commission.
On hearing the gun firing sounds, he remained laying on the ground inside the shop.
After the firing ceased, he heard sounds of police commandos talking and moving nearby the shop.
Later he heard some round of gun firing again.
The firing took place at the watch repairing centre located next to his shop but having same corridor.
The watch repairing shop is owned by one Takhellambam Ranbir.
He himself was inside the shop at the time of occurrence of the incident, he added.
An injure woman victim of the incident.
Keshorani also gave her statement in the commission.
The commission took up the report of SP Imphal east informing that the injured person P Lukhoi has been released from the hospital and he had rejoined his uniti hq, 3 AR, Churachnadpur.
The commission decided to direct CO of the 3 AR to produce the rifleman before the commission on November 26 at 10.30, which next hearing scheduled.
It also asked to issue fresh summon to another injure person Golmei Mangal to appear on the same day.
On the same day the owner of the watch repairing, T Ranbir is also likely to take as the commission decided to issue summon to him too.