Fake shoot out slur on police
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 31 2012: Family members and locals contended that S Tongpu, slain by Imphal West police commandos at Senjam Chirang area on August 28, was an innocent person who earned his livelihood as a construction worker.

Speaking to newspersons at Manipur Press Club today, local residents and family members strongly refuted claim by the police that Tongpu was gunned down in an encounter.

They stated that Tongpu was in Sekmai on August 27 to join his co-workers engaged in house construction while on August 28 he left his Loitang Khunou residence (quarter) along with a surrenderee, who stays at the 28 Assam Rifles camp in Loitang Khunou Spinning Mill campus.

Tongpu hails from Ngakhapat in Saikul sub-division but was staying with his in-laws at a quarter inside the now-defunct Manipur Spinning Mill, where the AR camp is also located.

Joining the media briefing, Tongpu's 11-year old daughter Leiwar recounted that at around 2 pm of August 28 her father was asked by one UG surrenderee to accompany the latter for some work and claimed to have seen another individual accompanying them in an autorickshaw.

The victim's son namely Khuplunthang (15) also informed that he and a friend had seen Tongpu and two others travelling in an autorickshaw at Chaprou area.

Later in the evening, the trio were spotted entering a drinking joint in the locality with Tongpu highly inebriated that the surrenderee had to help him walk, said the locals who claimed to have heard gunshots at Chirang side soon after Tongpu and his companions had gone towards the same direction in the autorickshaw.

Khuplunthang also narrated that having seen his father and companions going towards Senjam Chirang, he and his friend went to enquire on the shooting and saw a number of people, mostly womenfolk, already gathered at the site of the shooting incident.

He claimed to have overheard the womenfolk saying that one person has been killed while another managed to escape in addition to spotting the autorickshaw driver standing near the scene.

Khuplunthang identified the auto driver as one Sunder, also from Loitang khunou.

Concerned with his father's safety as he did not return home even after dusk, at around 6 pm Khuplunthang and some locals tried to locate the surrenderee for asking about Tongpu's whereabouts but could not find the individual.

Later in the evening, it came to light that the surrenderee and some of his family members were safely staying put at the AR camp.

Alleging that Tongpu was slain in stage-managed encounter, the locals demanded that the Government thoroughly investigate the matter and punish those found guilty.

Tongpu is survived by his son and three daughters while his wife had remarried to another person.

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