Woman killed in shoot out, bandh called
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 04: Following the death of a 65 year old woman in a shoot out between a combined team of Imphal West and Imphal East commandos and KNA cadres at Sipiyang village under Sapermeina police station today morning, people came out on the street to protest and the corpse was kept in the middle of the road stopping all vehicular movements.

Villagers protest the death of an elderly woman in firing by placing the corpse in the middle of the highway stopping traffic

In protest against the incident, the Thadou Students' Association has called a bandh in Sadar Hills and an economic blockade with effect from tomorrow.

According to information received from the spot, the combined team of Imphal West and East commandos came to the village today morning and started firing.

In the firing one Hoichong Haokip (65) was hit by a bullet in the back and she died on the spot.

The Sipiyang village chairman Thangpao Haokip told reporters that there was no shoot out with UG cadres in the village and asserted that the commando personnel were only firing indiscriminately towards the village.

Hoichong Haokip was hit by a bullet even as she was ducking for cover on hearing the gun shots.

She had gone out of her house to take Ngari and chilli from a neighbouring house.

Hit with a bullet on the left back, she fell in the courtyard of one Jangam Haokip and died there, said the villagers.

After the incident, the villagers brought the corpse and put it in the middle of NH-39 near the Gamnom Sapermeina police station to protest the killing.

The protesters also shouted slogans like, "We demand justice", "We condemn killing by commandos", "Stop killing innocent people" etc.

On account of the protest in the middle of NH-39, transport service to and from Imphal including tankers with security escorts were blocked.

In connection with the incident, a meeting was held at Gamnom Sapermeina police station with MLA of Saitu AC Ngamthang Haokip, SP of Senapati district Nishit Kumar Ujwal and representatives of Kuki Inpi, KSO and local leaders.

Following the death of the woman, irate villagers tried to block the commandos by piling timbers on the road.

The commando personnel fired several rounds in the air to disperse the protesters.

Later, the vehicles were allowed to proceed after 4.30 pm.

The OC of the Gamnom Sapermeina police station said that a case has been registered in connection with today's incident.

On the other hand, information received from Imphal West Police station said that acting on a specific information, a combined team of Imphal West and East commandos advanced to G Songlung, Sipiyang and Saitu villages at around 5 am today.

There the commando personnel were engaged in a gun fight with KNA cadres for about 2 hours.

In the gun fight, a camp including a bunker of KNA located at G Songlung was destroyed.

Two trucks loaded with goods worth lakhs of rupees, hijacked by the outfit on November 30 were recovered.

The trucks were found loaded with GI sheets, chairs and edibles.

Saying that the woman might have been killed in the cross-fire, the police source informed that one M-16 rifle, two magazines, several live rounds, eight number of letter heads, photographs, dresses, magazine pouch and shoulder badges embossed with KNA were recovered from the site.

Speaking to reporters at Motbung in connection with the incident, consultant of Thadou Students' Association, Sadar Hills H Marcel Lhouvum announced Sadar Hills bandh from 6 pm tomorrow till 6 pm of December 6.He further disclosed that the bandh would be followed by an indefinite economic blockade along both NH 39 and NH 53.He maintained that there would be no negotiation with the State Government until and unless the commando personnel and the officer involved in the killing of Hoichong Haokip are terminated from service.

Post morterm examination of the deceased was conducted at Kangpokpi CHC.

It is reported that representatives of Kuki Inpi and KSO would talk with the Chief Minister tomorrow on the incident.

The Kuki bodies also threatened with calling bandh and blockade in case the proposed talk fails to arrive at an amicable solution.