Roads blocked in protest all over; remand for five arrested men

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 18 : Even as a large number of people stormed Porompat police station on Saturday night (September 16) demanding unconditional release of five persons who were arrested on the charge of possessing illegal arms and ammunition, Imphal East police and Central security forces fired rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the protesters.
Reportedly, the five persons were arrested by a combined team of Imphal East and Imphal West commandos from Kongba Wangkhei Road near Meitei Mayek School on September 16.
They (the arrested persons) were produced before the Imphal East Duty Magistrate under different Sections of IPC, Arms Act, UA(P) Act and Official Secret Act, 1923 by a team of Porompat police yesterday with a prayer to send them to nine days police custody.
The Court remanded them to police custody for six days for  investigation of the case.
On the other hand, protesters blocked roads at Singjamei,  Kakwa, Khurai etc demanding unconditional release of the five persons from yesterday after- noon onward.
Protests were staged at different parts of the State today by blocking roads against the arrest.
According to reliable information, the five individuals came together in a Mahindra Bolero and they were arrested from Kongba Wangkhei Road on the charge that they were carrying illegal arms and ammunition.
A large number of peoples coming from different direction gheraoed Porompat police station demanding unconditional release of the arrested persons soon after they were handed over to Porompat police station while police and Central security forces fired several rounds of tears gas shells and mock bombs till 1.30 am of September 17 to bring the situation under control.
On the other hand, protesting the arrest of village defence volunteers, a large number of people blocked Imphal-Moreh road at Canchipur near MU main gate and Singjamei Waikhom Leikai but the protesters were driven away by CAPF and police in the afternoon by firing several rounds of tear gas shells.
Meanwhile the Coordinating Committee of 30 Assembly Constituencies has appealed to the Government not to arrest any village defence volunteer.
The committee said that many Meitei villages were able to withstand and defeat Kuki aggression only because of the selfless service of these volunteers.
A press release issued by the committee also appealed to all concerned not to undertake any anti-social activity by taking advantage of the war-like situation, which has been raging on since the evening of May 3.
It then demanded unconditional and immediate release of all the five village defence volunteers arrested by police on September 16.