Guwahati, February 06: All India Christian Council, Manipur Branch and All Manipur Christian Organisation have debunked the claim made by the PIB (Defence Wing) in connection with the recent incident of firing by security forces at Khoken village which left one villager killed and two others wounded.

In a joint statement, convenor of All India Christian Council, Manipur Branch Rev S Prim Vaiphei and secretary of All Manipur Christian Organisation Aram Pamei said that in order to ascertain the authenticity of the report given out to the media by the PIB (Defence Wing) in connection with the January 31 incident at Khoken village, the two organisations conducted an independent investigation on February 2 and its findings were in total contradiction to the PIB version.

�A four member team visited the village and conducted spot enquiry by interrogating and interviewing persons who could give eyewitness accounts of the brutal and inhumane atrocities perpetrated by the marauding Assam Rifles personnel�, the joint statement said.

It is obvious that no encounter between insurgents and security forces of such magnitude as claimed by PBI (Defence Wing) ever took place that day, the findings of the investigating team said.

The findings pointed out that the alleged encounter site is located inside the compound of the village Church where a social service was being conducted by the villagers in connection with the Dedication Day of the Church.

At the time of the incident around 10 women and four men were at work digging the foundation pit of the Church�s golden jubilee stone which is slated to be formally erected and dedicated on February 20.An eyewitness who miraculously escaped the horrific scene narrated the events thereby presenting a clear picture of what had really happened and this eyewitness account is substantiated as well as validated by the two injured persons who are at present recuperating at RIMS Hospital, the joint statement.

On that fateful day at around noon sounds of sporadic gunshots were heard in the village.

The villagers did not pay heed to the gunfire as all of them were too busy with their pre-occupations.

The echoing sounds of gunfire did not sound like encounter rather it sounded as �blank firing�.

However, at around 12.45 pm, 38 Bn Assam Rifles personnel belonging to A-company stationed at Kholen Outpost stormed the village and two personnel rushed towards the village Church building where four men were working and started firing indiscriminately, Henkhohao Singsit (28) s/o late Paolun Singsit was killed on the spot while Seiminthang Haokip (25) s/o Yangkhoon Haokip and Seikholal Singsit (18) s/o Holkhosei Singsit sustained injuries.

A bullet also swooped past the earlobe of Doujang Haokip (45) who was miraculously unharmed.

Doujang is the incumbent secretary of Khoken Baptist Church Building Committee.

The slain Henkhohao Singsit was also a member of the Committee.

While injured Seiminthang is a University student and the other injured Seikholal Singsit is a faithful Church member.

The allegation made by the security forces in rest of these innocent law-abiding citizens as undergrounds is totally false and mislead, the joint statement.

The allegation that some insurgents took shelter inside the Church building in the intervening nights of January 30 is also found to be false and totally fabricated, the statement added.

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