Three personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) on duty in violence-hit Manipur to help control the ongoing situation have been arrested and then suspended with immediate effect for trying to burn down a meat shop at Dimdailong, New Checkon in Imphal East on Friday night.
The three are personnel of number 090890033 Inap/GD Somdev Arya; number 061440079 CT/BUG, Kuldeep Singh and number 155111577 CT/GD Pradeep Kumar of A/103 Bn, RAF/CRPF.
According to police, one Habibur Rahman from Mayang Imphal sells meat at the shop on rent and the shop belongs to one Johnson Kamei of Dimdailong, New Checkon, Imphal East.
Speaking to the media, Habibur said that as per CCTV footage, three persons wearing uniforms of RAF pants were seen coming in a white Gypsy. The three persons bought a sack from nearby and after breaking the electric bulb in front of the shop, they set fire to the shop, he added.
However, people from the nearby shop put out the fire in time while the three personnel fled in the same white gypsy.
He said he does not have any idea why the personnel tried to burn his shop and what is the motive behind the crime. He appealed to the people not to create such unwanted incidents while people are in a panic situation. If there was no CCTV footage the incident could have misled the public which could bring more misunderstanding, he added.
It is reported that the Gypsy was driven by an IRB personnel identified as Bhupendra Singh.
Following the incident, a team from Imphal East district immediately rushed to the spot and apprehended the three personnel along with the IRB personnel on the same day following a search.
On Saturday, concerned MLA of the area, Thangjam Arunkumar along with the locals of Dimdailong held a meeting at the community hall of Dimdailong, New Checkon in Imphal East.
Arunkumar said that during this critical situation, creating such incidents could mislead the ongoing communal clash and appealed not to create similar incidents that could mislead the public.
According to police, the IRB personnel was summoned to Porompat Police Station, Imphal East where he clarified that he was not involved in the crime though he came with the RAF personnel.
The IRB personnel stated that he stayed inside the vehicle and was not aware that the RAF personnel would commit such a crime, as per the police.
After questioning him of the incident, the IRB personnel was released, Porompat police station said.
