Imphal, March 22 2009: Five men in civil dress identified themselves to be police commandos beaten up badly at least four labourers looking after the vender wares at Nagamapal market on the intervening night of March 21 and 22. The injured labourers were identified as Soram Nabachandra, Soram nanao, Chingkham Brojen and Huidrom Ito, said members of the Kanglei Economic Development Organization (KEDO) and Manipur Senmitlon Ehou Lup (MSEL) informed reporters here today in a press conference.

Ito is a member of the KEDO.

They were assaulted by the five persons coming into a Maruti Car 800 last night at around 1.15 am, according to one of the injured victim of the incident.

Relating the incident of the last night injure Nabachandra said all the five persons were drunk and while identifying themselves to be police commando personnel called out them from the place in the market shed where they were staying the night and interrogated them.

Before, able to give reply to the query, they started kicking and beating them up, he said.

They also hit them with bamboo stick and order them to jump down into the Nambul river which is full of rotten waste and debris.

President, MSEL, H Manaocha Khuman said that the labourers have been detailed to look after the markets in wares of the venders at Nagamapal market after the incidents of stealing goods breaking the padlocks reported during the curfew hours in last few days.

KEDO secretary Bhorot who also took part in the press briefing termed the unfortunate incident as acts of the uncivilized people stating that such incident of giving harassment to the daily bread earners have been occurred frequently.

In the state where there is no place for earning for livelihood and the labourers were doing the odd jobs of looking after the wares of the venders n the night time.

In the day time also they are engaging in transporting wares, selling edibles on mobile.

Giving harassment on them is not the act of civilized human society, he reiterated expressing strong condemnation.

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