Situation remained tense and several escorted trucks were seen moving to Dimapur from Imphal with damaged front windshield Friday morning as volunteers of Kangpokpi CSOs reportedly damaged them at Keithelmanbi, Manipur.
Civil bodies of Kangpokpi spearheaded by the KSO Sadar Hills imposed total ban on all commercial trucks, including tankers along the National Highway 2, since 12 noon Friday over a fatal hit-and-run case.
The incident took place early January 19 when an unidentified truck moving towards Imphal hit a young man at Keithelmanbi military colony. The driver fled the scene after the incident while the young man reportedly died on the spot. His body is lying at the morgue unclaimed till the filing of this report.
In connection with the incident, civil bodies in Kangpokpi spearheaded by the KSO Sadar Hills served a 24-hour ultimatum for the accused to surrender or the police to find the accused. The ultimatum expired on January 20 midnight.
As the accused failed to surrender as well as the police failed to find the accused within the stipulated time frame, the civil bodies of Kangpokpi under the aegis of KSO Sadar Hills imposed a total bandh along the national highway and pt a ban on the movement of all commercial trucks, including tankers from 12 noon of January 21.
The KSO Sadar Hills in an earlier press conference made a fervent appeal to the accused and truck owners and drivers’ associations to resolve the matter amicably to avoid such agitation and further destruction. It also appealed to the people of Manipur to understand the situation and bear with the deceased family and extend maximum cooperation and support towards the movement in bringing justice to the deceased family.
It had also urged the state government to take the matter seriously as it involved the death of a person.
The movement of escorted trucks and tankers despite the appeal enrage the already infuriated mobs and aggravated the already volatile situation, resulting in the civil bodies intensifying the situation.
The enraged mobs had reportedly damaged the windshield of the escorted trucks and tankers at Keithelmanbi on Friday morning. It is also reported that the civil bodies of Kangpokpi under the aegis of KSO Sadar Hills may intensify the stir and imposed total bandh of all vehicles along the National Highway 2 in case.
However, there is also a report that the civil bodies of Kangpokpi and KSO Sadar Hills leaders were holding talks with the government representatives this late evening. But nothing could be ascertained till the filing of this report.
