A policeman was injured in a clash with protesters staging a protests defying curfew imposed in an area in Imphal on Tuesday.
Police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. Tensions were running high at Kakwa Naorem Leikai locality under Singjamei police station of Imphal West district where a teenager boy was killed and as many as seven people were injured after shots were fired from a house amid a quarrel over a land dispute on February 27 night. Following the incident, curfew has been imposed in the locality.
Alleging that some police officers used unparliamentary words towards them, some of the protesters pelted stones towards the police. A policeman was injured after a stone hit him. As the situation went out of control, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Except minor injuries due to stampede, no injury that needed medical attention were reported from the protesters.
After the situation was brought under control, leaders of a local joint action committee formed in connection with the killing of the teenager and injury of seven others, held a talk with the police. The police, later, allowed protest in a peaceful manner. During the protest, the residents demanded befitting punishment to the culprit while alleging that he misused the license gun he possessed for self-protection.
Mention may be made that after the shooting incident, the police have arrested two members of the house where shots were fired from during the quarrel – Longjam Rakesh and his father Achou of Kakwa Huidrom Leikai.
Irate locals had also set afire the house of the alleged accused persons, apart from vandalising their neighbouring houses.
