A group of women stormed the police station in Heirok village of Thoubal district in Manipur on Sunday alleging laxity in the investigation into the killing of a college student in an instance of alleged poll-related violence last month, the Imphal Free Press reported.
On December 21, Ningthoujam Rohit was shot dead after he tried to stop unidentified masked gunmen who had barged into his home to abduct his elder brother, Ningthoujam Roshan. Rohit’s father was also injured in the attack.
Rohit’s family members and neighbours had said that the attack followed an altercation involving Roshan. They alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party workers had thrown stones at a new Congress officer. Later, members of the two parties had clashed.
In a police complaint, Roshan had accused a man, Thokchom Putro Singh, of killing Rohit. He had also named five other people who allegedly accompanied Singh.
On Sunday, several women held a public meeting at the ground of a school in the locality demanding that the facts related to Rohit’s killing be ascertained. Later, they stormed the Heirok police station and shouted slogans.
They demanded that a chargesheet be filed in the matter and that the accused persons should be booked under the National Security Act for possession of illegal arms.
They blocked the police station’s gate and burned rubber tyres in front of it, according to the Imphal Free Press.
One of the protesters, Khungongbam ongbi Shini, told reporters that the people have lost faith in the police as the firearm used to kill Rohit has not been seized yet. She said that the protests would intensify if a chargesheet is not filed against the accused persons within 45 days.
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