Several women decrying the physical assault meted out by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel against unarmed protesters in the Bamon Leikai area on June 16, staged a sit-in on Sunday at Brahmapur Lalji Lakpa Leikai Community Hall, Imphal.
It may be mentioned that the RAF since their deployment in Imphal has been embroiled in various accusations of carrying out inhumane physical assault on unarmed protesters.
A series of protests have been staged recently denouncing the rage-fuelled mob control measures of the RAF. This is not the first time the RAF got caught in a violent limelight. Recent video footage of RAF personnel destroying parked civilian vehicles and trying to torch a Muslim-owned meat shop in Imphal went viral on social media.
The victim in their latest rampage is a 45-year-old Ningombam Sunil from Brahmapur Lalji Lakpa Leikai who was reportedly assaulted by RAF personnel at his residence around 8:30 pm on June 16.
Sunil was reportedly at home when RAF personnel barged into his residence and started assaulting him without any inquiry.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the sit-in, a protester alleged that RAF personnel locked the doors of the house from the outside and started beating Sunil mercilessly.
“We could not do anything as the door was locked from the outside; they assaulted him and tried to drag him out from the compound of the residence,” she said.
She questioned authorities whether the central forces were deployed in the state to torture unarmed civilians or safeguard them.
She demanded the central forces to be removed from Manipur if they are unable to maintain their humanity and safeguard unarmed civilians.
She further lambasted the central government for failing to swiftly restore peace and normalcy in Manipur and stated that a full-blown violent eruption was inevitable if they kept on dragging out the issue.
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