Student death case: three students hurt as agitations escalate

Police blocking students during a protest rally in Imphal on August 8. (NNN Photo)

Newmai News Network
 Imphal | August 8

At least three students were injured and two police vehicles were vandalised on Thursday as protestors stepped up demanding swift justice for the minor student who was found dead in a suspicious manner in her hostel room on July 18.

Sounds of tear gas shelling and mock bombs echoed in Imphal as agitations got intensified barely a day after police have started cracking down against the agitators. 

In its crackdown against the protestors, they have arrested co-convenor and a member of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed in connection with the suspicious death of the minor girl. 

Twelve-year-old N Babysana, a student of Standard Robarth Higher Secnodary School, was found dead inside her hostel room on July 18 last.

Pressing the government to find the truth behind the death of the student and swift justice for the deceased student, a large number of students of CC Higher Secondary School, Imphal on Thursday attempted to carry out a protest rally from their school campus till the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

The school is located only around 200 meters from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

When the police blocked them on reaching Sanjenthong, only few meters away from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, the students confronted with the police, compelling the police firing several rounds of tear gas shells besides using mock bombs.

Even as the police foiled their bid, the students continued their protest rally towards New Chekon to Hatta Gollapati from Palace Compound.

On the way, the students smashed two Gypsy vehicles of police which were parked on the road side by stoning.

The students were blocked by the police at Hatta Golapati near Minuthong where yet another confrontation between the police and the students erupted.

In their bid to put the students under control, police again fired several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs towards the agitating students. 

A student was injured on his leg by a tear gas shell. An ambulance picked him up and immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital. His condition was stated to be out of danger.

Around the same time, students of Lamlong Higher Secondary School, Khurai marched a rally towards Chief Minister’s bungalow. They were blocked by the police near Minuthong and dispersed them by firing tear gas shells and mock bombs. In the melee, two students sustained minor injuries.

During the students’ protest, all shops and other establishments in New Checkon and Hatta Golapati area downed their shutters, showing solidarity to the cause of the students.

Police in Imphal West district also foiled a rally of the students at Tera by firing tear gas shells and using mock bombs when the rally targeted toward Imphal market.

Students of Model Higher Secondary, Tera carried out the protest rally demanding justice to the death of the student. No student was injured in the police action.

Protest rallies and forming of human chains on the roads by the students of various schools were reported in various parts of Thoubal district too.

Meanwhile, even as a tightened security measure was put in place by deploying a large number of police personnel, a dawn to dusk bandh severely hit normal life in Thangmeiband area, the epicentre of the agitations.

The bandh also paralysed normal business transaction in parts of Imphal covered by Thangmeiband assembly constituency as all shops and business establishments remained downed their shutters for the day.

Protestors in large number took to the streets across the Thangmeiband areas and imposed the bandh by putting fire, piling stones and piling logs on the roads.

Police have arrested the co-convenor Pratap Leishangthem and member Elangbam Joykumar of the JAC on Wednesday evening while they were mobilising for a torch rally in Thangmeiband area.

They were arrested as police launched a sudden crackdown against the leaders and members of the JAC formed in connection the controversial death of the student and launching various forms of agitation seeking swift justice for the student.

The arrested co-convener and member were produced in the court of Imphal West chief judicial magistrate where the court remanded them to the judicial custody for 15 days.

Talking to media after coming out from the court room, the co-convener said that they will not apply for bail saying “let the law take its own course.”

They were sent to judicial custody amidst the strong pressure from the residents of Thangmeiband area to release them without any condition.

During the dawn to dusk bandh, womenfolk at various locality staged sit-in-protest demanding unconditional release of the leaders of the JAC. They warned of intense forms of agitation if government fails to consider their demand at the earliest.

“Release them immediately without any condition or face the wrath of the people,” a woman leader warned the government.

Meanwhile, the JAC Against the Murder of Ningthoujam Babaysana Chanu has threatened to intensified its ongoing agitations of the arrested members are not released by 10 am of August 9.