A 25-year old youth identified as Manggoulen son of Tungkhojang, a resident of Langol National Games’ Village was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen last night around 8.30 pm at Langol Game Village Zone-III at a Lagao gambling place.
Enraged by the killing of Manggoulen, residents of National Game Village Thursday staged a sit-in protest after a meeting held in the morning today and formed a JAC and announced a 24-hour strike. They have demanded the arrest of the culprits involved in the killing.
Manggoulen, an unemployed youth having completed Bachelor in Pharmacy, was among those youths involved in a quarrel with local youths and two other unidentified youths who were gambling.
Eyewitnesses said soon after the quarrel, one of the two persons pulled out a small arm and shot at Manggoulen at point blank. On hearing the gun fire people present at the spot fled.
After the assailants left the place, Manggoulen was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Local youths noted down the registration number of the associated vehicle as AS-4641. Police registered a case but no arrests have been made so far.
The residents of the locality held a meeting this morning which formed a joint action committee and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
Expressing concern over the increasing skirmishes between violent delingquents of different communities residing in the National Games Village area, they requested the Chief Minister to take up measures to ease the communal tension prevailing in the area.
Terming the killing as a “dastardly, cowardly and unjustified killing”, they further requested for necessary action to nab the culprits and to be booked as per law.
A strike preventing entry of vehicles and outsiders was entorced in the area effective from forenoon demanding immediate action to apprehend the killers within 24-hours. A meeting held this morning resolved to call a general strike in the hill areas of Manipur until and unless the culprits are arrested and brought to justice.
- Hueiyen Lanpao
