Manipur police intercept Missing man’s wife from reaching Raj Bhavan

Imphal: Police forcibly detained Bela Rani, the wife of Laishram Kamal Babu who went missing after entering Leimakhong Army campus on November 25.

Rani along with a few companions, including the convenor of Imagi Meira, Th. Sujata were apprehended at a location in the heart of Imphal which a few metres away from Raj Bhavan main gate.

The women group was moving to Raj Bhavan to meet the governor regarding Kamal Babu’s disappearance.

Despite being a small group of about five to six individuals, heightened security measures were in place, with police completely barricading the road between Raj Bhavan and the western gate of Kangla Fort from 9 am.

Only VIPs, security personnel, and media vehicles were allowed passage during this time.

Reporters present at the spot witnessed that the police had even prepared blankets, though the reason was unclear. Speculation arose that the group may have intended to stage an unconventional form of protest, prompting the heavy security response.

The women group was heading to seek an appointment with the governor as neither the GOC of the 57 Mountain Division nor the Defense Ministry had made any statement regarding Kamal Babu’s disappearance, reportedly from the Army cantonment, said a source.

Police intervened Convenor of Imagi Meira, Th. Sujata talking to reporters at the spot. The police took her into custody as well.

During the interview, Sujata voiced her grievances about the police action. She criticized the authorities for detaining the group, which she emphasized had peacefully approached the governor’s residence to highlight the case of Kamal Babu’s disappearance.

She described the police’s actions as excessive and unnecessary, stressing that Bela Rani had every right to meet the governor and demand answers about her husband’s whereabouts.

Kamal Babu,s disappearance came amid 19 months of Manipur violence, after six Jiribam individuals who went missing fell in the jaws of Kuki terrorists. There have been casses of missing individuals killed by Kuki terrorists in the crisis, even though central security forces have been deployed in wake of the crisis.