RTI activist held in Manipur BJP leader murder case

Correspondent

IMPHAL, JAN 29: A renowned RTI activist Wahengbam Joykumar was arrested in Manipur in connection with the recent murder of convener of BJP state unit Ex-Servicemen Cell, Laishram Rameshwor Singh. The arrest of the RTI activist was related with the murder of the convener of the ex-servicemen cell of the state unit of BJP Laishram Rameshwor on January 24 last, according to the source.

Activist Wahengbam Joykumar (53) – was arrested by a team of Thoubal district police from his house at Wangkhei Hijam Leikai in Imphal East district at 8 pm on Saturday night with arrest memo, a police source said on Sunday.

He was produced in a local court in Thoubal district today where he was remanded to police custody till February 2. BJP leader Laishram Rameshwor Singh was shot dead allegedly by Ayekpam Keshorjit, (46) in broad daylight on January 24 near his residence at Kshetri Leikai in Thoubal district. On the same day of murder, the police arrested two persons including the suspected prime accused.

The prime accused was arrested after he surrendered to the police with his license gun allegedly used to shoot the BJP leader. Keshorjit’s arrest came after the driver who drove the car in which the alleged prime accused was arrested earlier. The source said that he was arrested during the course of investigation into the murder case and hinted that it was a planned murder and some more persons linked to hatching the murder plot are likely to be arrested. A highly reliable source linked the arrest of the RTI activist to his Facebook post related to the murder of the state BJP leader. Meanwhile, the Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights in Manipur and the United Nations (CSCHR) strongly condemned the arrest of the RTI activist on Sunday and demanded his immediate release. It may be noted that Joykumar is also a member of the CSCHR

According to the CSCHR, two police vehicles packed with security personnel stopped at the residence of Joykumar and tried to enter from the backdoor of his house. His wife, Wahengbam Purnimashi confronted them and told them to come properly from the main gate. While taking him away, the police personnel told him that they had come to arrest him in connection with a murder case of the BJP leader and asked him to come along with them for interrogation, the statement said. The police personnel also interrogated his wife who signed an arrest memo. At around 8.21 pm, he was whisked away, it added. “The case is, apparently, in connection with the killing of a BJP functionary. The alleged killer, who is also an RTI activist, made the first call to Joykumar after the killing,” the CSCHR said. Quoting the wife of the RTI activists, the CSCHR stated that the alleged murderer is a client of her husband and her husband had advised him to duly surrender to the police, which he did.

The construction work of the camp had started in December 2018. The Gauhati High Court in August 2021 gave 45 days time to the Assam government to finish the construction work of the unit.

The transit camp has a total of 15 buildings, including two dedicated to women. Each of the units has a capacity to house 200 inmates. The facility has been provided with hospitals, schools, recreation centres, dining and other amenities.

Mizo Padma Shri awardee hopes to inspire

AIZAWL, JAN 29 (PTI): Folk singer KC Runremsangi, who was recently conferred the Padma Shri, said that she had been promoting Mizo songs across the length and breadth of the country for over three decades.

The 59-year-old singer from Aizawl recounted that she had taken up singing and dancing as her “hobby” at an early age, but gradually her interest in music grew as people started taking a note of her talent.

“As a child, I would sing Mizo songs at church events and wedding ceremonies. People would appreciate my performance and that gave me confidence to pursue music as my profession,” she said.

She hoped that her award will inspire other artistes who wish to popularize indigenous art and culture.

Snippets

Man held for wife’s suicide

JALNA, JAN 29 (PTI):

A man has been arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of his 30-year-old wife in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, police said on Sunday. The victim, who is a teacher at a government school, allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a lake on Saturday afternoon, an official said. According to a complaint lodged by the victim’s brother, the accused was allegedly having an extramarital affair and used to torture his wife, he said. The accused, who is a nayab tehsildar in the food supply office, was arrested under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the official added.

Campaign for girls in UP

LUCKNOW, JAN 29 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh government has launched a campaign to empower girls from the underprivileged class, an official said on Sunday. According to a statement, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan will work under the Aarohini Initiative Training Programme for the safety and security of girls in

746 Kasturba Gandhi

Residential Girls Schools in the state. Director General of School Education

Vijay Kiran Anand said the main objective of the Aarohini programme, which will be implemented in three phases, is gender sensitisation. In the first phase, which will start on February 1, teachers will be trained.

Two held for

‘Khalistan graffiti’

NEW DELHI, JAN 29

(PTI): Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested two men in connection with alleged “anti-national” and “Khalistan-related graffiti’ that appeared on walls in areas of west Delhi on January 19, ahead of Republic Day, officials said on Sunday. The walls were painted with slogans like “Khalistan Zindabad” and “Referendum 2020”, they said. “Two perpetrators have been arrested by the Special Cell in a case related to pro-Khalistan graffiti,” a senior police officer said.

“On the early hours of January 19, multiple graffiti raising objectionable slogans appeared in the areas of Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi and other parts of west Delhi,” Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa had earlier said. Accordingly, a case under sections 154B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code was registered by the Special Cell, Nalwa had said.

Teacher found dead in UP

GONDA (UP), JAN 29 (PTI): A school teacher has been found dead at his rented accommodation here, police said on Sunday. The incident happened in the Forbisgang locality of the district on Saturday, they said.

The deceased, identified as Krishan Kumar Yadav (32), used to work at the Janta Inter College school in Itiathok, Additional Superintendent of Police Shivraj said. Yadav’s landlord noticed blood coming out from the man’s residence and found the body, he said. The victim, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, used to live with his sister, who was in Lucknow at the time for some work, the ASP said. The body has been sent for a postmortem examination and further investigations are underway, police said.