Arrested persons innocent : ATSUM

Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, Dec 23: Demanding immediate release of Hentinseh Singsit, Henminlun Misao and Seigoulun Singsit who were "arrested by a combined force of Imphal West district police commandos and 15 Assam Rifles on October 25, 2021, for their alleged involvement in the firing incident that occurred at B Gamnom village on October 12 which led to the death of three civilians," the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) said today that the three are innocent and have nothing to do with the incident.
Significantly former ATSUM leader Kakai Singsit is presently under a fast demanding the release of the three accused, asserting that they are innocent.
While expressing solidarity and support to the families of the arrested “who are presently running from pillar to post in their quest for justice and vindication but with little respite,” the ATSUM assured that it will leave no stone unturned in seeking justice.
According to the apex tribal students’ body of Manipur, after an exhaustive investigation it has come to light that the three are in no way connected with the firing incident that occurred at B Gamnom village and this can be substantiated by the fact that Hentinseh Singsit was still in New Life Rehabilitation centre at Chagangei, Imphal when the incident occured. ATSUM said that he left the rehab centre on October 15. “This clearly demonstrates that the whole arrest episode was a botched up operation right from the start,”  ATSUM alleged.
It stated that the versions of the police are marked by “plenty of and fanciful claims whereas the truth is being swept under the carpet so as to hide their incompetency, unprofessionalism and bungling in the matter”. The ATSUM said that the man who the police claimed to have been the master of the whole incident, Mangsat Haokip, as the vice-chairman of KNF-N was already in Sajiwa Jail two months prior to the firing incident. “The police had claimed on October 25 that the trio was working under Mangsat Haokip. “This claim of the police is totally absurd and laughable as all evidences speak otherwise,” it added.
The tribal students’ body added that the three persons are known drug users and are in no way connected with KNF-N as claimed. “Rather, they are innocent civilians who are now unfortunate victims of the Police Department’s monstrosity which is under the impression that they have got the carte blanche to do anything they want under the State’s protection,” the student body added.
“In fact, the family members and villagers have substantiated that the three persons never moved out of the village when the incident occurred while one of them was in a rehab centre”, said the ATSUM. The tribal students’ body also said that even the family members of the deceased in the firing incident have also negated their involvement. “Rather they were emphatic that the police had arrested the wrong persons. Doesn’t this speak volume of the police charade ?” it asked.
The ATSUM said that the desire for promotion, accolades or gallantry awards on the part of the police officers and personnel must have been the driving force behind the whole episode of this botched up arrest but arresting innocent people and framing them with ludicrous charges and throwing them in prison for a crime they did not commit cannot be justified under any circumstances, the tribal students’ body said. It added that this “debacle” of the police had given the family members intolerable humiliations, untold harassment, demonization, financial privations and mental trauma which is simply outrageous and unacceptable in a democratic dispensation. The ATSUM demanded, “The Government of Manipur should seriously look into the matter for the sake of justice and future deterrence and render fitting punishments to all the erring police personnel who are found to be involved in the whole debacle so that the same does not occur again, in the future”.