Imphal, March 08, 2010: The manipur People's Party (MPP), Ethno Heritage Council (Hericoun) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) Manipur State Committee have demanded proper investigation into the incident of shooting and injuring of Advocate General N Koteshwor by a Cabinet Minister on March 6. The MPP in a press release described the incident of a Cabinet Minister shooting Koteshwor injuring him seriously was a horrifying incident.

The statement of the Chief Minister that a Cabinet Minister had accidentally shot him and apologised, therefore no inquiry was needed, and not revealing the name of the Minister involved in the crime is a conspiracy to protect the guilty, the MPP said.

Koteshwor was made to sit in the front seat by the two Ministers after passing Litan.

He sustained injuries when one of the two Ministers opened fire from the back seat.

There are reports that people witnessed gunshots being fired from the vehicle of the Ministers and the vehicles of the escort personnel all along the road, the MPP stated in a press release.

The Chief Minister ought to disclose who exactly between the two Ministers opened fire.

It is all the more suspicious that the police have not so far registered a suo motto case in the incident.

The MPP takes it seriously that an important vein in the right arm of the Advocate General has been cut due to the bullet injury.

In order to avoid the possibility of his becoming permanently disabled, he should be taken to Apollo Hospital in Delhi, or even to a foreign country if necessary and he should be given the best treatment, the MPP demanded.

Meanwhile, the Hericoun expressed shock and surprise over the incident of shooting Advocate General N Koteshwor by either Works Minister, K Ranjit or TD Minister, DD Thaisii, and termed it an unfortunate incident.

A press release of the Hericoun stated that the Advocate General could have been killed in that shooting incident.

Whipping out a gun by a Cabinet Minister while travelling under heavy security and "accidentally" shooting and injuring the Advocate General was indeed a careless act.

That incident may become a precedent for other Ministers to make the same mistake in future too, and could become an incident that might disappoint Commissioners, Secretaries and other officers, the Hericoun said.

Therefore, a proper inquiry committee should be set up to investigate how the error was made, and the same should be made known to the public and anyone found guilty must be given appropriate punishment.

Governor, Chief Minister and the Government of India need to look at the incident seriously.

Otherwise, several officers may be shot at "accidentally" inside the office chambers of Cabinet Ministers within the fortified walls of the secretariat.

If the incident is let go without proper investigation, it is feared that the relationship among Judiciary, Executive and Legislature may become sour, the Hericoun cautioned.The CPI(M) Manipur State Committee has also expressed strong protest over the incident.

Since it was a threat to the Advocate General's life, it was a big crime.

As the Chief Minister has come to know who exactly shot at the Advocate General, the Minister involved must be removed from his post immediately, and a high level inquiry must be initiated, the party demanded.

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