Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 03:
Two youths who were allegedly compelled to act as surrendered militants after being lured with offer of jobs in the Assam Rifles have revealed their bitter experience while in the military custody.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Imphal East released the two, Heikrujam Gobin, (20) and Sagolsem Gobin (19) today on their execution of a surety bond and a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.
Short after their release the duo said they along with Heikrujam Ingo (18), H Lemba (18) H Momocha (17) all of Laimanai village in Thoubal district were lured and taken to different AR camps on the promise of giving them job in the Assam Rifles by one Yengkhom Somananda of the same locality on different dates.
They (both Gobins) were kept at the AR camp at Mantripukhti.
During their stay some AR men threatened them to introduce themselves as surrendered militants before senior army and AR officers.
They were also given fictitious names, they said.
Out of fear they acted as surrenderees before the officers, the two Gobins said.
During their stay they also found another two youths who introduced themselves as real surrenderees belonging to two different Kuki underground organizations.
"I along with eight others were compelled to put on camouflage fatigues and laid down arms one after another before an army officer in a surrender ceremony held recently at Mantripukhri with our faces masked," a frightened H Gobin recalled.
S Gobin, however, did not join the ceremony, he added.
Both Gobins also flatly rejected the police statement submitted before the court that they in collusion with some persons including Somananda procured arms and surrendered the same to AR authorities with the intention to get job under the surrender policy.
An emotional S Kumar father of S Govind said, " I'll never succumb to any false promises of giving job to my son.
I'll support his earlier cultivation works".
CJM Chandel on April 27 released Ingo and Lemba on their execution of personal bonds.
Till now the rifles has not produced Momocha for which his father filed a miscellenaous application before the High Court to free the youth.
Following the revelations of Ingo that two more youths Md Hussain of Paobitek in Thoubal dist and Taorem Hemanta of Matai village in greater Imphal were kept inside the rifles' camp at Leikun parents of the duo filed two fresh habeas corpus petitions before the High Court to secure their release.
A statement issued by the army said Md Hussain was produced before the CJM Chandel on Tuesday but he had volunteered to stay with the Assam Rifles for further rehabilitation.
Hussein of the banned RPF surrendered along with arms on February 25 and he took part in the "Home Coming Ceremony" held on March 13 this year at the headquarters of IG AR(S) at Mantripukhri, the statement quoting AR sources said.
Following the stand of Hussein, the CJM of Chandel today issued an order that he be sent to the Assam Rifles camp.
Md Sanahal has already been through the initial screening process as per the Surrender cum Rehabilitation policy of the Govt."It is clear that the father of the said surrenderee was probably instigated by some with vested interest to file a writ petition with baseless allegation to tarnish the image of the AR", it said.




