Villagers of Chanam Sandrok under Keirao assembly constituency, Imphal East on Friday alleged that former pradhan of Chanam Sandrok GP Heirom Suresh and one Irengbam Dhabalo of Chanam Sandrok Awang leikai were abducted by the group ‘Arambai Tenggol’ and handed over to the police.
Speaking to media at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul on Friday, spouse of Heirom Suresh, Heirom Lily alleged that the abduction was carried out by the said group in collusion with MLA of Keirao assembly constituency Lourembam Rameshwar on charges of including four non-locals in the voter and PMJAY lists of Chanam Sandrok GP.
Narrating the incident, she said that as many as 200 persons came to their home around 11:30 am on Friday and gheraoed their residence, enquiring about her husband’s whereabouts. When my husband met with the people, they forcefully dragged him into a vehicle and drove off, she added.
“I tried to stop them but they physically assaulted me as well. I had no idea who the people were at first; it was only when Arambai Tenggol posted about the arrest on social media that I knew,” she said.
According to the said post on social media, Arambai Tenggol “captured and handed over the former pradhan to Irilbung Police Station for harbouring non-locals without ILP pass and unlawfully including non-locals in the PMJAY and Voter lists with the objective to spread other religion”.
Lily refuted the charges hurled against her husband by Arambai Tenggol and claimed that a recent news report about the inclusion of four Kuki individuals in the 2011 Chanam Shandrok census report might have triggered the unfortunate incident.
“My husband did not have any authority to include the four individuals in the census report, the report is published by the census department,” she added.
Lily further questioned the authority of Arambai Tenggol in handling such matters. She asked if they are lawfully empowered by the government to commit such heinous activities.
She also mentioned that the incident may be rooted in political rivalry as her husband Suresh is an intending candidate in the upcoming Zilla parishad member election. She urged the state government to resolve the matter at the earliest.
Meanwhile, spouse of Irengbam Dhabalo Irengbam Bimolata alleged that members of Arambai Tenggol and MLA L Rameshwar forcefully captured her husband from Keirao Wangkhem.
“My husband informed me that MLA Rameshwar was involved when I visited him at Irilbung Police Station,” she said.
Bimolata further demanded authorities concerned to release her husband and Suresh unconditionally and urged them resolve the matter without further delay.
