Imphal, August 02 2009: Even as the Government has ordered a Judicial inquiry into the BT Road incident, the Apunba Lup, a conglomerate of several organisations, has called a 48 hours State wide general strike with effect from midnight today.

Stung by the sequence of pictures released by Tehelka, and published by all dailies published from Imphal, Chief Minister O Ibobi convened a high level meeting and after discussing the issue decided to order a Magisterial inquiry into the incident.

The meeting was attended by senior Ministers of the SPF Government, Chief Secretary, DGP and the SPs of Imphal East and West.

According to a notification issued by Additional Secretary (Home) M Yaiskul Meitei dated August 1, the inquiry would be conducted by Imphal West District Magistrate A Ibocha Singh.

The terms and conditions as per the notification are establishment of the facts and circumstances leading to the incident, analysis of the facts and circumstances, findings based on the facts and circumstances and analysis thereof and recommendations to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

Report of the inquiry should be submitted to the Home Department within 30 days.

Meanwhile, pledging full support to the ongoing people's movement against the BT Road incident of July 23, which has been proved as a fake encounter by Delhi based weekly magazine Tehelka with photographic evidences, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup has called a 48 hours Statewide bandh from midnight of today and also demanded resignation of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.

Following the news report and sequence of pictures published by Tehelka and subsequently by local dailies, which not only contradicted the police claim that it was former PLA cadre Chungkham Sanjit who opened fire indiscriminately killing pregnant Rabina and injuring five other people, while running away from commandos, but also proved that Chungkham Sanjit was killed in a fake encounter, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup held a meeting today.

The meeting resolved to demand befitting punishment of the police commandos involved in killing an arrested person without putting him to trial.

It also demanded exemplary punishment of all police officers who attempted to cover up the facts of the incident as well as resignation of Chief Minister O Ibobi.

Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club here today, coordinators of the Apunba Lup, A Langdon, Karam Sunil and Phulindro Konsam lauded Tehelka for publishing a detailed report of the BT Road incident.

Observing that different sections of people have been demanding punishment of the guilty commando personnel, contending that the shootout was a fake one, the coordinators reminded that the Chief Minister made several charges against Sanjit in his statement given on the floor of the State Assembly.

However, it has been established that Sanjit was not guilty, they asserted while asking the Chief Minister whether he can execute the commandos involved in killing Sanjit.

Announcing that the Apunba Lup would be launching different forms of agitation until their demands are fulfilled, the coordinators stated that a state-wide general strike will be imposed from midnight of today till the midnight of August 4 .

Medical, fire service, water supply, power, religious functions and media would be exempted from the purview of the general strike, they said.

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