IMPHAL: Three Manipur police commandos have been suspended in connection with the alleged custody death of a 52-year-old farmer from Kumbi village in Bishnupur district. The government would conduct a departmental inquiry into the incident as well.
Thoubal district commandos detained Athokpam Angousana from his residence on Sunday evening. He was handed over to hospital authorities next morning by police with grievous injuries. He was rushed to the centre-run Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) here where he was declared death around 11.30am.
The suspended personnel include the head constable, a constable and a rifleman of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Thoubal district, sources said, adding that an order to this effect was issued by the concerned officials on Wednesday. A pressure group formed by the irate Kumbi locals on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh seeking dismissal of the guilty commandos and payment of Rs five lakh as compensation to the bereaved family. The locals also sought a government job for one of the family members of the deceased.
The suspension order came after a meeting between leaders of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) set up to investigate into the matter and the chief minister on Wednesday morning. After the government agreed to comply with some of the demands, Angousana's last rites were performed and his body was taken away from Rims mortuary where it was lying unclaimed.