Imphal: Authorities have extended the Internet ban in violence hit Manipur till June 10 even as the state Human Rights Commission has asked the state government to consider restoration of the service to facilitate people. Amid a fresh flare-up in violence in the state, the Manipur government issued an order on Monday evening with regard to suspension of Internet services till 3 pm of June 10.
The extension of the Internet ban in the state nothwithstanding, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed while two Assam Rifles personnel received gunshot wounds in firing between the security forces and a group of insurgents in Kakching district in the wee hours of Tuesday. The clash took place when suspected Kuki miscreants targeted BSF troops deployed at the Serou Practical High School with indiscriminate and heavy firing around 4.15 am on Tuesday.
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In the ensuing exchange of fire, Constable Ranjit Yadav sustained a gun shot wound and was moved to Kakching's Jivan Hospital where he was declared as dead on arrival by the doctors. In another heart-wrenching incident, an injured eight-year-old boy was killed along with his mother and another of their relative when an ambulance in which the three were on board was waylaid by a mob and set ablaze in Manipur's West Imphal district on Sunday evening.
The incident took place when the boy was being taken to a hospital by his mother and the relative in Imphal after he sustained a bullet injury in his head during a shoot-out. Manipur has been on the boil since May 3 when clashes broke out between the majority Meiteis and the Kuki tribe over the Meiteis' demand to be included under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.
Meanwhile, the Manipur State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday wrote to the Commissioner (Home) to consider restoration of Internet services in Manipur to facilitate the people.