Custodial Death of Teen in Manipur Army Camp Creates Furor in Imphal

Imphal Residents seek CBI probe

Imphal, May 2 : Residents of Sagolband Moirang Hanuba Leirak locality in Imphal West today demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of a teenaged former militant in army custody last night.

Salam Sanjoy, 18, died at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) after he was brought there by the personnel of 12 Maratha Light Infantry located at Patsoi of Imphal West. Sanjoy, a resident of Sagolband Moirang Hanuba Leirak, was taken away by the army yesterday morning after the parents of the boy and a woman identified as Ningthoujam Kavita Devi from the neighbouring locality of Takyel negotiated for the boy’s surrender.

Yesterday, Sanjoy’s mother, Sumila Devi, brought her son to the woman’s house from where the army personnel took him away. “Sanjoy, a former cadre of militant Military Defence Force agreed to surrender to the army after he was frequently picked up by the police,” Sumila Devi said.

The father of the boy, Salam Kamni, however, said his son died because of excesses committed by the personnel at the army post.

An officer of the army post today denied the charge and claimed recovery of a large number of tablets used as intoxicants like N-10 and Spasmoproxyvon from the boy after he was found ill.

“We took him after requests by the parents for surrender. We fed him and left him in a room in the post to rest while we were preparing the documents. Late in the afternoon he fell ill and we took him to the hospital. We did not do anything to him,” the officer said.

The youth’s father, however, rejected the army’s claim and said his son was in good health when he left the house.

Angry residents of Moirang Hanuba damaged Kavita’s house last night. The police are yet to arrest anyone in this connection.

The residents held a meeting at the local playground today and demanded a CBI inquiry and suspension of all personnel involved in the death of the youth. The residents also gave the government and the army time till May 4 to fulfil the demands.

Police said the post-mortem was yet to be carried out as no relative came forward to claim the body.