IT News
Imphal, July 10:
One village defender was killed in another fresh attack by armed Kuki militants at Kadangband area in Imphal West today morning. Women folk of Kadangband area and the father of the deceased alleged that the deceased village defender was killed by the Assam Riffles who have been supporting the Kuki militants.
Report reaching here said that heavily armed Kuki militants started firing towards the Singda Kadangband area from Singda Kuki and Kangchup Geljang village side at around 9 pm yesterday using sophisticated automatic weapons. Village defenders also retaliated and the gunfight lasted till late morning today. A village defender identified as Saikhom Sanjit Kumar (29 yrs), son of Saikhom Rocket, a residence of Uripok Achom Leikai Lane -6, Imphal West district was killed in the gunbattle at around 9 am today after being hit by a bullet.
The firing started some hours after the villagers of Kadangband area along with the security forces had dismantled and cleared the bunkers constructed in and around the periphery of the village yesterday evening.
“The Kuki militants started firing towards the village some hours after the bunkers have been dismantled”, a woman told the media adding that the village defender was killed by the Assam Rifles.
Father of the deceased Saikhom Rocket, while speaking to media said that his son was hit but a bullet of an LMG gun which was issued to the central paramilitary forces. He suspects that his son was killed by the guns of the Assam Rifles.
The dead body was brought to RIMS for conducting post-mortem. Large number of people stood by the roadside at Uripok Kangchup Road as the dead body was brought in an ambulance to RIMS morgue.
Anguished over the death of the village defender, the people of Uripok area under the aegis of the Uripok Apunba Lup shut down all shops and business establishments. The large number of people also staged a rally however they were stopped by the RAF and the state police in front of Cheirap Court, Uripok. Later, some representatives of the Uripok Apunba Lup were allowed to proceed up to the Chief Minister’s Office and the Raj Bhavan for submitting memorandum. Poana Keithel and Thangal Keithel were also paralyzed due to the impact of the sudden uproar.
