Manipur: Five including women injured as mask men allegedly fired upon locals in Imphal

Five locals of Sega Road Khwairakpam Leikai, Imphal, including a women sustained bullet injuries after unknown miscreants with face-masked allegedly fired gunshots towards the local civilians.

The incident reportedly happened at around 11 pm on Saturday night when masked men who came in three vehicles tried to capture Khaidem Bobo a resident of Khwairakpam Leikai.

Condemning the incident and demanding arrest of all involved in the firing, Chongtham Iboyaima, Convener of a committed formed against the incident, said the incident could be an outcome of an exchange of words in Facebook between former BJYM President Barish Sharma and Khaidem Bobo.

"On Saturday night, at around 11 pm, masked men who came in three vehicles tried to capture Khaidem Bobo, a resident of Khwairakpam Leikai. But, Bobo’s wife and other locals in the surrounding resisted the masked men and pleaded for the release and safety of Bobo," said Convener of the Joint Action Committee.

In the midst of the scuffle between the two parties, one of the masked men fired upon the locals and injured 5 people including a woman. The injured persons have been rushed to Raj Medicity hospital, Imphal.

The JAC Convener urged the Chief Minister of Manipur to make sure that all those involved in attacking the locals are arrested within 2 pm of October 16 and that the medical expenditures of those injured must also be borned by the State government. "The Home Department must take up immediate necessary measures and action against armed men who were threatening the public in different parts of the State," he said.

Asserting that Mr. Barish Sharma had been involved in different cases in the past, Iboyaima said that necessary actions should also be taken up against him. The Convener also warned of launching agitations along with Club members and other civil society organisations of Tiddim Road if the State government fails to arrest all the culprits involved in attacking Bobo at the earliest.

Wife of Khaidem Bobo, Khaidem Ongbi Ranjana said Barish came to their residence on October 12 at noon and told Bobo to give clarifications for his post/ comments in social media to which Bobo had agreed. However, on Saturday (Oct 14) masked men came to Bobo’s residence and tried to forcibly drag him out of the house. The locals including the Meira Paibis resisted and there was a scuffle between the two parties, she added.