Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 24 2009:
Flatly rejecting the version of encounter as claimed by police, regarding yesterday's incident at Khwairamband Market, which claimed two lives besides injuring five people including two women, the proscribed RPF has asserted that there was no incident of gun-fight between police commandos and any armed person.
In a statement issued by its department of publicity chief GM Changjou, the outfit alleged that the incident was a continuation of the fake encounter drama being enacted by commandos under the patronage of the State Government.
Detailing the incident, the outfit claimed that police commandos were trying to overpower an individual near Samu Makhong by brandishing a gun at about 10.30 am yesterday but the individual somehow managed to brush aside the gun and ran away.
The commandos chased the man firing indiscriminately, killing the pregnant woman and injuring five other individuals, it alleged.
It is questionable whether Chungkham Sanjit of Khurai Kongpal Sajor Leikai, who was shot dead by commandos, was actually the man the commandos were chasing or some other man who came there for some work.
The pistol reportedly recovered from Sanjit was the same pistol the commandos reportedly recovered from the entrance to Gambhir Singh Shopping Arcade and displayed to media persons before Sanjit was shot dead, it claimed.
The outfit also denounced the act of House members, including Opposition members falling in line with the alleged fabricated report put forward by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, without raising any questions or asking for an enquiry to find out the facts and circumstances of the incident.
Accepting the fabricated report without raising any question was sheer irresponsibility on the part of the MLAs.
Even if the Government levelled all allegations against insurgents to cover up excesses of commandos, people know the truth.
They are silent because they are gripped by the fear of falling victims to fake encounters, the outfit asserted.
Blaming Chief Minister O Ibobi for targeting innocent people by using the police, the outfit alleged that majority of the crimes taking place in Manipur are the works of the police force.
Referring to the Chief Minister's statement that the Government knew who were behind the relay hunger strike being staged in solidarity with Irom Sharmila's cause, the outfit alleged that yesterday's incident was a conspiracy aimed at re-imposing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Imphal Municipal area.
Reacting to the call of some MLAs to cleanse the society, RPF questioned with whom the cleansing act should begin.
Falsely connecting yesterday's incident with the PLA was most unfortunate.
Chungkham Sanjit alias Momo alias Chingkhei (27) of Khurai Kongpal Sajor Leikai retired from PLA in 2006 due to some health problems.
Since then, the outfit had snapped all relationship with Sanjit.
As such, he was no longer a cadre of RPF/PLA.
The outfit condemned the act of killing and violating right to live by commandos.
It also condoled all those killed and injured in yesterday's incident.