Another spate of gruesome massacres of non-locals stuns state; Four shot dead, two hurt at Natum Ching and Heinoubok; high level meeting held, securit

Imphal, Jun 24: A high security alert has been sounded in the greater Imphal area this evening following another spate of beastly massacres of Hindi speaking non locals by unidentified gunmen.Four ended up dead and another two injured in today`s mindless bloodlust perpetrated by suspected militants at separate places this afternoon.The initial killings took place this afternoon around 1.45 pm at the foothills of Pourabi Huidrom Natum Ching, about 8 km west of the Lamlai police station in Imphal east district, as two non locals were shot dead and abandoned there by a lone unidentified gunman.According to the villagers, the two non locals were brought there on a motorbike by an unidentified person who proceeded with them to the foothills of Natum Ching at around 1.30. After some time the villagers heard two rounds of gunshots and saw the unidentified youth hurriedly leaving the spot on the motorbike towards Keibi village.The suspicious villagers went to the spot and found two bullet riddled dead bodies of two non locals after which they immediately informed the police.Both the non locals were found with one bullet each at the head and lying with their faces downward with hands tied in the front. Both appeared to be around 27 years of age.The dead bodies were picked up by the Lamlai police from the spot and are being kept at the RIMS morgue for official identification.In another attack on non locals by unidentified gunmen this evening around 4.30 pm two more non local labourers were shot dead and another two injured at Heinoubok under Lamphel police station in Imphal west district.The injured non local labourers were identified as Ramdhari Prasad, 45, son of late Shivhari Prasad of Gopalganj district of Bihar and Suraj Sahah, 30, son of Ramkhelal Sahah of Beisali village, Durgapur in Bihar. They were injured by one bullet each at the left thigh and are undergoing treatment at RIMS hospital.According to Suraj Sahah, the incident occurred when they were picked up by two unidentified persons who came on a 407 mini truck from Changei area on the pretext of unloading cement.He said they were taken to an interior inter village road connecting Changei and Langjing and after they reached a secluded place at Heinoubok village they were made to get down from the truck at gunpoint by the two gunmen on the truck and instantly two among them were shot dead at point blank range by one of the gunmen. He along with Ramdhari Prasad started fleeing from the spot on sensing their imminent death, but both were hit by bullets fired by the gunmen. However, they somehow managed to escape to the nearby settlement area, Suraj said.He said he somehow reached a cement shop at Keishampat run by his relative after catching a rickshaw from the main road at Heinoubok, but Ramdhari Prasad who fainted on the way was left behind.The victim further said he was admitted to RIMS later and his friend Ramdhari Prasad was also admitted there by the local public who found him in an unconscious state.He said the names of the two other colleagues who were shot dead by the gunmen were Dindayal and Boliram and both hailed from Bihar. All of them were residing at a rented house at Major Khul in Imphal, he revealed.According to a highly placed source, the cement which was being carried on the 407 mini truck bearing registration number MN01-5373, owned by one Ningombam Bhas of Kongba Laishram Leikai and driven by one Sharat from Siejang village, was bought from Langol Lairembi and Steel House at Keishampat as per the preliminary findings of the police.The police were, however, unable to recover the 407 mini truck.The owner of the mini 407 truck was present at the RIMS casualty where he came this evening and police took his statement in front of mediapersons at the hospital.In the meantime, following the serial killings of Hindi speaking labourers this evening a high level security meeting presided by chief minister O Ibobi Singh and attended by some cabinet ministers, the state DGP and SPs of both Imphal east and Imphal west districts discussed the situation arising out of the killings at the chief minister`s bungalow.The high level meeting instructed the concerned SPs and officers in charge of the concerned police stations and outposts in the greater Imphal areas to remain on high alert to prevent any further untoward incidents.It may be recalled the valley districts had witnessed the serial killings of 15 Hindi speaking non local labourers by militants in the middle of March this year. The entire valley districts of the state were also placed under curfew for more than a month by the state government in order to control the situation.
(Courtesy:IFP)