Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 15 2010:
Decrying the conduct of SDPO of Singjamei police and his escort personnel who allegedly beat up some students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Khumbong within the school campus itself, students as well as their guardians have demanded action against the accused SDPO.
The incident reportedly occurred on the night of December 5 .
The SDPO and his escort personnel allegedly canned some of the students in class IX to XII only once while some others were canned 7 to 8 times.
Some of the students were also made to lie down on the ground and canned.
The cops also trampled the students backs and threatened that their legs would be broken.
The SDPO himself allegedly humiliated the students by saying that all of them are fit to be rickshaw drivers and can't hope to become a big officer like him.
Decrying the conduct of the SDPO, the students and their guardians have demanded action against the police officer.
Talking to mediapersons at the community hall of Sagolband Nepram Menjor Leikai today, students and their guardians recalled that on December 5, three students of the school were suspended by the school authority on alleged charge of going out of the school campus after jumping over the walls without any out pass.
The three truant students were taken into custody by a local club after they were found loitering and the matter was intimated to the school authority.
They were suspended by the school authority after taking them from the custody of the club members.
Following the suspension, the three students left for home in the evening of December 5 .
Just after they left, students of class IX, X, XI and XII went on a rampage destroying the infrastructure of the school including the room of the school Principal and three staff quarters.The mob was controlled SDPO of Patsoi Police, OC and their sub-ordinates.After the situation was brought under control, SDPO of Singjamei Police and his escort personnel arrived and started questioning the students to find out who were involved in destroying the infrastructures of the schools and beat them up one by one.
One of the students, who was allegedly canned seven times by the SDPO, said that the mob incident broke out after the three suspended students informed other senior students about being threatened and forced to say sorry by some teachers over an earlier class boycott agitation against five teachers.
The class boycott agitation after the five teachers falsely charged senior students of indulging in homosexual act with the junior students, the student, who is studying in class XII science said, while clarifying that there is no question of homosexual act between the senior and junior students of the school.
Meanwhile, to take a first hand account of the incidents that have taken place, a joint team of Coalition on Children's Rights to Protection and Child Welfare Committee, Imphal West today visited JNV Khumbong and met the principal and other staff.
The principal expressed regret over all that have taken place in the school of late and conveyed that efforts are being made to resume normal classes for class IX to XII very soon.
In connection with the allegation of excesses on the students Singjamei Police, officials of Child Welfare Committee have pointed out that apart from fact that the incident took place beyond the jurisdiction of Singjamei Police, excesses on children accused of committing crimes is punishable under Section 23 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act.




