Imphal, December 16: Tension gripped Lamshang area following the death of a 36 year old man in a shooting incident and injury to another near the Public Girls' High School at Lamdeng Khunou situated about 1 km from Lamshang police station last night.

Enraged over the killing the local people converged and demolished the house of a former UNLF cadre besides burning the other assets on the charge that he was involved in the killing.

The deceased is identified as Lourembam Basanta of Taokhong Ayungba Mamang Leikai while the injured is identified as Lourembam Sanjit (25) of Taokhong Khunou Lamkhai.

Both are close relatives.

According to sources, Basanta and Sanjit launched a search for the elder brother of the former, L Thoiba (49) on getting information that he had been taken away by unidentified persons and was being beaten up at a spot at Taokhong Khunou.

The two were accompanied by the wife of Basanta.

One man accused to be involved in the assault of Thoiba was over powered by the local people and taken to the office of the All Manipur Women's Reformation and Development Samaj to settle the matter.

The accused is identified as Sorokhaibam Inaoton of Lamshang.

As per the disclosure of Inaoton, the people came to learn that those involved in the assault included his elder brother Johnson, Chingangbam Boy of Lamshang and Angom Bruceli of Taokhong Khunou.

Even as the meeting was on, the loud report of five rounds of gun fire was heard at about 12 am, said sources.

The gun shot was heard only a little after L Basanta and Sanjit left the meeting to relieve himself.

Thereafter Sanjit, though wounded managed to come rushing back to the place where the meeting was on and informed that Basanta has been shot dead while he was injured.

The gunmen who were apparently lying in wait shot Basanta on his back side and left side of the face and later pointed the gun at the face of Sanjit.

The youth however suddenly turned and bullet grazed his left cheek.

The gun was wielded by a former cadre of the UNLF, disclosed the youth.

The accused is identified as Thoudem Premchand (36) of Taokhong Ayungba Mayai Leikai.

Following the disclosure of Sanjit the enraged people marched to the house of Premchand and demolished it at about 1 am.

All the goods kept inside the house were taken out and consigned to the flames by the enraged people.

A pig, chicken reared at the house, the granary and other goods including utensils and a colour TV set were burnt to cinders.

The parents of Premchand and younger sister fled from the scene.

Premchand is a former cadre of the UNLF, said sources and recalled that some time back he was caught in a compromising position with a married woman on May 27 last year.

This was after he had got married.

The local people had expelled him from the locality and the married woman was handed over to him.

Since then Premchand had been staying at the house of his grand mother at Uripok Nachom Leikai.

Following the incident, the Sunshine Youth Club organised a meeting at Taokhong Lamkhai bazar.

A JAC christened JAC Against the Killing of L Basanta and Attack on L Sanjit was formed during the meeting.

The JAC has adopted a number of resolutions, including expelling Premchand and his family members for life from the locality and to socially boycott anyone found giving them shelter.

The JAC also resolved to urge the UNLF to verify whether Premchand had used the name of the outfit while carrying out the killing or not and to give him fitting punishment, accordingly.

The Government should also step in and book the killers and award them fitting punishment, the JAC resolved.

The Government should extend all possible help to the family members of the deceased as well as to the injured Sanjit.

Until the demands are met, an indefinite bandh will be imposed on the Uripok-Kangchup road with effect from today, the JAC said and added that religious ceremonies will be exempted from the purview of the bandh.

After the meeting a large number of people in three Tata trucks and one Tata Sumo headed towards Imphal.

They were however stopped by the police at Uripok Nachom Leikai and made to turn back.

The body of Basanta is still lying at RIMS morgue while Sanjit is in a critical condition at the hospital.

Comment