BSEM chairman shot dead in office
O Joy: killing a conspiracy of chairman contenders
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 11 2011:
Unidentified gunmen entered the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) office located opposite to Imphal West District Police HQ and shot dead chairman, Naorem Kunjabihari in his office chamber around 3.30 pm today.
The easy entry of the gunmen have left a question mark on the security measures in place in the state.
Sixty year old Naorem Kunjabihari of Kakwa Naorem Leikai took over charge as chairman of the board in the first week of November last year.
He is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.
Kunjabihari started his career as Reader in the Oriental College.
He was secretary in-charge of the board for five years before the government appointed him as chairman.
The chairman was in his office chamber after a meeting of members of the board concluded at 3.30 pm, and was found lying on the floor when his office peon entered his room.
As no gun fire was heard, his office staff including the secretary rushed him to the RIMS casualty under the impression that he had suffered a stroke.
He was declared brought dead.
With the news of his demise top officials including police officers rushed to the hospital.
RIMS superintendent, Dr Y Mohen also arrived at the RIMS casualty ward and personally examined the lifeless body of the chairman to determine the cause of death.
Doctors along with the police found a very small injury mark on his right chest.
There were also small holes in his shirt and vest which doctors confirmed was a gun shot wound.
Doctors as well as police came to the conclusion that the gun used in shooting the chairman was either a .22 mm or a .32 mm pistol.
One doctor suspected the murder weapon could have been a pen gun.
However, this could only be confirmed after a postmortem examination, he added.
The chairman had been presiding a meeting which commenced at 11 am and lasted till 3.30 pm.
The meeting was attended by former VC of MU, IS Khaidem, Retd Prof H Bihari, former secretary of board Salam Nabachandra and principals of Johnston Higher Secondary School and Ibotonsana Higher Secondary School among others.
MLA O Joy termed Kunjabihari's murder a conspiracy murder hinting that the hands of some persons who are in the race for the post of chairman could have been behind it.
He told, Hueiyen Lanpao, that there was a strong lobby among the contenders of the post of chairman after the government began the process to appoint a new chairman.
Except for Kunjabihari none of them had met the existing (RR) Recruitment Rules for appointment of chairman.
The RR clearly states that only a person who worked as a regular principal in a government college for five years and who has worked as secretary of the board could apply for the post of chairman, O Joy said.
The MLA recalled that there was an instance of Kunjabihari writing an UO note to the Chief Minister O Ibobi requesting him to appoint only a qualified person.
Joy further said that when Kunjabihari was appointed chairman, a man who identified himself as Brojendro Luwang threatened Kunjabihari of dire consequences if he took charge as chairman.
The phone number used by Brojendro was 08974893522 .
O Joy added that Kunjabihari told him that Brojendro had provided him his number and warned of killing him saying that "chairman-gi choukrida phamlabadi koo-ga sinagani" .
He termed the killing as an act of a coward.
Decrying the murder of Kunjabihari, residents of Kakwa Noarem Leikai took to the streets on NH 39 and blocked the highway starting from 8.30 pm, a local report said.
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