Imphal, January 19: An armed youth cornered and outnumbered by Assam Rifles personnel was gunned down by police commandos in full view of family members at Khurai Konsam Leikai this morning.

The deceased youth identified as Chandam Jiten alias Malemnganba (32) s/o Ch Basanta of Khurai Konsam Leikai is reported to have opened fire at the Assam Rifles personnel who were in plain-clothes before a commando team of Imphal east district arrived and fired at close range towards Jiten who had come out to surrender.

Assam Rifles PRO in a statement said troops of 1st AR along with Imphal East police commandos launched a search operation at Khurai Konsoam Leikai following specific inputs about the presence of a militant inside a house there.

The cordon was laid during the night and adequate steps were taken to avoid collateral damage, said the PRO and added that when the troops approached the house in the morning they were fired upon by the militant.

The troops retaliated and in the ensuing gun fight the UG was killed.

One 9 mm pistol along with ammunition were recovered from the slain youth, it added.

Sources informed that Jiten is the same person from whose room in Manipur University Men�s Hostel an AK series rifle was retrieved some months back.

According to family members Jiten was also a member of MU Construction Committee and was married.

Even as the family members suspect the 32 year old to be having close link to the proscribed PREPAK they however contended that Jiten had never gone underground.

Detailing today�s incident they informed that some 4/5 unidentified persons knocked at the family�s main door and asking for Jiten at about 3 in the morning.

After the door was opened by Jiten�s elder brother the unidentified persons barged into the house to which the brother contemplating the intruders to be some of Jiten�s UG friends tried to bring out his brother but found him (Jiten) locked inside the bathroom.

As the bathroom door was forced open Jiten fired some round resulting in injury to an AR man while the others ran out and taking positions near the entrance (gate) of the house unleashed a volley of shots as other family members scampered for cover.

On seeing arrival of police commandos - later confirmed to belong to Imphal East district - at daybreak the panicky family members trickled out and assembled at the gate with Jiten still inside the cordoned house.

With attempts by the commando personnel to flush out Jiten from the hideout bursting tear gas shells near the bath room not bearing the desired result Jiten�s elder brother Nandeshwor volunteered to convince his armed brother surrender to the security teams.

Whilst Nandeshwore and Jiten neared the entrance one of the commandos bursts from his automatic weapon in full view of other family members killing Jiten instantly.

Jiten sustained multiple bullet wounds on the head, chest, hands and thigh areas.

Searches inside the house after the gunfire yielded a German-made 9 mm pistol along with one round and magazine, claimed press source.

However, family members alleged loss of three mobile phone handsets, gold ornaments and money besides other house-hold items.

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