Custodial death: Shutdown hits normal life in Manipur's Imphal valley

Imphal, April 25 (IANS) The 24-hour statewide shutdown called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to protest the alleged custodial death of a 27-year-old youth earlier this month, badly affected normal life in Manipur’s Imphal valley regions on Friday, officials said.

Police officials said that shops, markets, business establishments and educational institutions were closed and all vehicles, except that of the security forces and emergency services, remained off the roads in the valley regions specially in Imphal East and Imphal West district.

“There is no major incident relating to the shutdown,” a police official told IANS.

However, protesters blocked roads in Khurai Ningthoubung Leikai areas from where the victim hails, and burnt unused tyres in the middle of roads to enforce the bandh.

Huge contingents of security forces were deployed in the entire Imphal valley regions specially in Imphal East and Imphal West district to prevent incidents.

Imphal East’s District Magistrate Mayanglambam Rajkumar Singh on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS ahead of a 24-hour bandh.

The orders prohibited the assembly of five or more people from the midnight of April 24 to the midnight of April 25.

The order also prohibited the carrying of sticks, stones, firearms, sharp weapons and explosive materials.

The JAC, which was formed after the “custodial death” of Khoisnam Sanajaoba on April 13, called for a 24-hour statewide shutdown from the midnight of Thursday.

Khoisnam Sanajaoba, 27, a resident of Khurai Ningthoubung Leikai areas under Imphal East district, was arrested on March 31 along with four others for their alleged involvement with the proscribed outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (Noyon faction). He was remanded to Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa and on April 13 he was admitted to the casualty ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences and subsequently pronounced dead.

The JAC has been demanding a fair and neutral probe into the alleged custodial death of the youth.

The JAC leaders said that they had submitted a memorandum on April 17 to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla mentioning their charter of demands but no response has been received from the government yet.

The committee along with other local clubs and women vigilantes organised a series of agitations to protest the death and demanded an impartial enquiry.

The JAC asserted that Khoisnam Sanajaoba was a “village volunteer” and was arrested by the state police on March 31 along with four others for their alleged association with the banned outfit KCP.

The committee strongly condemned the government’s indifference to the custodial death and said such apathy has compelled them to intensify their agitation.

It appealed to all sections of society to extend support to the shutdown as a show of solidarity in the fight for justice.

–IANS

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