Manipur rape-murder: Bandh called off

GUWAHATI: The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) on Monday suspended its 36-hour shutdown after the Manipur government agreed to set up a special investigation team and file a chargesheet in an eight-month-old rape and murder case.

The bandh to protest the government’s failure in probing the rape and murder of a 21-year-old schoolteacher on May 5 last year was shceduled to start from 6am on Tuesday. “We suspended our agitation after a meeting with chief minister Nongthombam Biren and senior officials, where they promised to set up a special probe team within three days and submit charge sheet within three months. We will resume our stir if the government fails to honour its commitment,” TSA general secretary Michael Lamjathang Haokip said.

The TSA has been demanding justice for the woman whose naked body — bearing signs of torture — was found at Muortinchan village road junction near Sugnu, about 65km south of state capital Imphal. The TSA had accused the government of shielding the “real culprit” — a non-tribal member of the village defence force (VDF) that operates under the state police — and passing off the incident as an outcome of drug dealing. The VDF member was allegedly the woman’s boyfriend and had called her out on the evening before she was murdered. Police have been pushing the drug theory on the basis of another murder that day, TSA and the deceased’s family members said.

The bruised body of a 28-yearold man was also found about a kilometre from where the woman’s body was recovered. Police said the man died of drug overdose at the house of a tribal couple, who confessed to dumping his body a few metres away.

Pramod Asthana, the state’s additional director general of police (law and order), denied his force was shielding anyone. “We are awaiting the forensic test report from Kolkata. Action will be taken on that basis,” he said.

“We want the culprits caught too, but we need proff. Police are working and there is a process they have to go through. Confrontation can’t solve any case,” local MLA and youth affairs minister Letpao Haokip said.

THE GIRL’S BROTHER