Lightening bandh demanding release of three youths arrested by state police commandos in Manipur, hit normal vehicular movement on Imphal-Jiribam section of NH-37 on Friday
On Friday, a team of police commandos apprehended the three youths from Nungba area under Nungba police station of Noney district.
The police commandos picked up the three youths identified as Lovingson (25), Hiamngamlung (26), both from Nungba, and Gaikhangkhuan (27) from from Nungba Bazar area, Longdai village.
They were picked up for questioning in connection with an extortion case in the area by miscreants, a reliable source in the police said.
At the time of being picked up, womenfolk of the area a strongly opposed the action and even tried to snatch the youths away from police hands.
Police had to fire some rounds of tear gas shells to disperse womenfolk and there were no report of any injury in police action.
The three youths were taken into Imphal for further necessary action.
The police took the Nungba-Imphal via Khoupum route in reaching Imphal, the source added.
Irate over the arrest of the youths whom the residents of Nungba area claimed were innocents, they resorted to blockade of highway (NH-37), forcing all kinds of vehicles to pile up on both sides.
The protesting residents, mostly womenfolk, demanded immediate unconditional release of the three youths.
They were innocent and nothing to do with any alleged extortion in the area, the protesting residents claimed.
Jangsinlung, a member of the Nungba Village Authority, who took part in the protest, announced that the blockade along the NH-37 in the Nungba area will continue until the three youths were released without any condition.
