IMPHAL/KANGPOKPI: Unknown miscreants set ablaze three trucks at Awang Sekmai Mayai Leikai, Imphal reportedly coming to load cooking gas cylinders from Sekmai Bottling plant, Nongthombam on Saturday morning.
The incident took place at around 9:55 am when some unknown miscreants intercepted the trucks and burned them at Awang Sekmai Mayai Leikai, Imphal West.
The trucks, bearing registration numbers MN06T-2239, MN01A-3900 and MN01-8128, reportedly belonged to Misao Gas Service.
As the information of the incident was received, a team of Sekmai police station rushed to the spot followed by Manipur Fire Service team. Although the fire service team put out the fire, most parts of the trucks were damaged.
It is yet to be known why the trucks were burned.
From our Correspondent in Kangpokpi: The Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi has urged the authority concerned to deliver justice by booking the culprits involved in the torching of three trucks.
After the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum's (ITLF) strong condemnation of the incident, CoTU also condemned the incident in the strongest terms in its emergency meeting at Kanggui (Kangpokpi) town, the district headquarters of Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district.
The situation in Kangpokpi district is tense after the torching incidents of the three trucks as enraged mobs decided to block back the highway over the incident.
CoTU Information and Publicity Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip said that following the UPF and KNO's 'Goodwill Gesture Mission' in opening the highway, CoTU has been trying hard to convince the public for smooth and free passage of the trucks ferrying essential commodities along the National Highway-2.
Strongly condemning the torching of Misao Gas Service trucks, CoTU termed the incident a "barbaric continuous attempt" to escalate the already volatile situation.
He also alleged that the mobs after pulling down the drivers and assaulting them, the trucks were taken to other locations near Khurkhul areas and torched the vehicles.
Earlier, the office and godown of Misao Gas Service at Chingmeirong, Imphal West, and Mantripukhri had already been vandalized and partially burned by the mobs.
A complaint had also been lodged by the Gas agency at Gamnom Saparmeina Police Station in connection with the torching of the three trucks this morning.
Following the torching of the three trucks, the situation along the highway in Kangpokpi turned tense as enraged mobs decided to block the highway back despite the UPF and KNO's goodwill gesture mission. However, there is no official declaration of the highway blockade on the part of civil society organizations.
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