Manipur: Angry mob torches house of 3 accused in Satyabhama murder case

IMPHAL, April 9 [IFP] --- The public announcement of the three main accused in the N Satyabhama murder case today was followed by irate protestors including JAC supporters and residents of Kakwa area taking the law into their hands and setting fire to the homes of the three involved. The house of the main accused, Kshetrimayum Biju alias Holendro, 28, son of Ksh Ibochouba of Irilbung bazaar and a shop located at the road side belonging to the family were dismantled and all household items inside the house destroyed  and later, put to flames by the angry mob who had come from Kakwa and other areas in a huge procession. Angry mob also dismantled the  house of co-accused  Thoudam Jibon, 28, son of Th Thoiba of Irilbung Machahal Mayai Leikai  and burnt it down.  It may be mentioned that Jibon was a candidate  in the recently held Panchayat elections for the post of a Member from the Bamon Kampu  Gram Panchayat. None of the family members of the accused  were present in the area during the time of the incidents today. Meanwhile, the angry mob also brunt down the house of Toijam James alias Boy at Thambalkong Sabal Leikai this evening around 3pm. The mob numbering around a 1000 came in trucks, auto's and two wheeler mopeds rushed into the accused's house and started to rampage the household commodities and burnt down the house. Finding no one at James's house,  the mob went to the neighboring house and found it locked from the inside. Enraged over the neighbor's failure to reply to the call of the mob, the mob then  started breaking the doors and windows of the house. When it was found that James had shifted some of his household items to the neighbor's house, it only fanned the anger of the mob who went on a rampage and burnt the house down. On further inquiry from the media later, Toijam Thoinu the neighbor said the family had no idea about the accused shifting his items to their house and said the accused could have moved them in while the family were at another neighbor's. "The way the mob acted today is inappropriate. Damaging and burning down the house without any inquiring is inappropriate", she said, before lamenting, "They have vented their anger, now where do we go to live?" After the burning of the first house, the mob continued to move towards Chingmeirong with a similar intention of burning down the house of another accused Phungsokwung alias Ashok. The mob was however blocked by the Imphal West police. After a long confrontation between the police and the angry mob; police resorted to firing a couple of tear gas shells and mock bomb to disperse the mob.