IMPHAL, Dec 24: An official fact finding team of police led by the Sr. SP Clay Khongsai have conducted a spot enquiry to find out the reality of the incident yesterday at Nongbrang village in wich two Kuki youths were lynched by an irare mob chasing gunmen who fired at a crowd.
According to a statement released by the SSP, the preliminary findings based on the spot visit at the incident spot indicated that a bandh was imposed by residents of Nongbram against extortion and threats posed by suspected KNF(P).
Suspected KNF(P) cadres then came to disperse the bandh and fired several rounds at the assembled crowd resulting in the injuring of three women folks of Nongbram village.
The statement further said in the resultant mob fury, two Kuki youths who were on their way to Bongbal village for Christmas and stranded at Nongbram due to the bandh became the victims of the violent mob adding that the two Kuki youths having been identified and have since been confirmed to be innocent victims and also students studying in Shillong.
The statement further said that as a preventive measure, heavy security deployment had been taken up at Nongbram to defuse the tension on the same day.
It also said that some suspects have been picked up in connection with the incident and appeal to all to maintain peace and tranquility.
In the meantime, a joint statement of All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM), Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) and All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) strongly condemned the murder of two innocent Kuki students by some villagers of Nongbram on December 22.
The joint statements also expressed resentment over false reports carried by local cable television network ISTV.
The statement further mentioned that, the two deceased students, Paokhosat alias Paosat Kipgen, 25, son of Lhunkhojang of Bongpal Khullen and Paolenlal Chogloi, 25, son of Chongkhothang of Keithelmanbi Military Colony were without any doubt students studying in Shillong for the last 15 years.
On these fact the KSO Shillong had already clarified yesterday that Paolenlal Chongloi was an M.Com students at NEHU and Paokhosat Kipgen had just finished graduation and was recently selected as SI under the CPO and both of them were the executive members of the KSO, Shillong holding Social & Culture and Games & Sports secretaries respectively.
The joint statement further mentioned that the ISTV which indulged in one sided reporting charging that the two students were militants without going through the fact is highly condemnable.
It has added a communal hue by stating the two students were militants it added. Adding salt to their wounds the ISTV went on say that the KNF(P) has killed three people, which was totally baseless, it added.
The act of Nongbrang villagers, who murdered two innocent students, should be condemned by all right thinking citizens, it said.
The three student organization have come to learn that the two deceased students were on their way to Bongpal Khullen on an auto rickshaw driven by one non-tribal man.
The killers stopped the vehicle and seized the passengers. On identifying them the villagers let go of the driver while the two students were inhumanely bludgeoned to death, it claimed.
On the other hand, the three students organization have suspended the agitation against the killings in view of the Christmas clebration and to give the government a chance to book the guilty people.
A spot inquiry was also initiated yesterday by the three student organizations in the presence of some ministers. The team also pacified the villagers to ease communal tension that prevailed.
The three students organization appealed to the state government to deliver its assurance and promise of apprehending the culprits involved in the killing before December 31 and concrete steps must be taken to bring an amicable solution and deliver justice at the earliest.