Silchar (Assam): Protests erupted in Manipur's Jiribam district over the alleged police encounter of three Hmar youths in Assam's Cachar district, on Tuesday.
Thousands of people, including Hmar and Kuki communities, staged a protest in the Chuto Bekra area of Jirbam today condemning Assam police for the alleged extrajudicial killings of the youths. They took to the streets demanding justice from both Assam Police and the Centre.
They carried placards with slogans of "Assam Police Murdabad", "Stop Fake Encounters", and "We Want Justice". The protesters alleged that the three innocent Hmar youths were killed in a fake encounter by the Assam police and claimed that the youths were unarmed when arrested but were later accused of being militants and killed. They have also warned of intensifying their protest if justice is not served by the Assam and Central governments.
On July 16, Assam Police had arrested three Hmar youths from Dholai Gangnagar in Cachar district and claimed to have recovered weapons from them. On the night of July 17, police had taken the suspected militants along with them while conducting an operation in the Bhuwan hills on the Assam-Manipur border. Police stated that an exchange of fire that broke out with the militants had resulted in the death of the three arrested youths.
The Assam Police had asserted that the deceased were militants, a claim denied by their families and the Hmar community. The families of the victims have moved Gauhati High Court, challenging the version given by the police and alleged that the youths were killed in a fake encounter.
The court has ordered the bodies to be preserved till the Assam government submits a comprehensive post-mortem report. The three bodies are still in the morgue.
The incident has sparked outrage and demands for a thorough investigation into the killings.
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