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Imphal: Lawyers in Manipur on Wednesday staged a sit-in-protest against “chaos” that created inside a court complex in Imphal, in which a lawyer and one reporter sustained injuries in actions by the police and RAP personnel on Tuesday.
While strongly condemning the incident, the lawyers demanded an inquiry into the incident by a committee led by a retired justice of the high court. The inquiry order should be ordered within a week’s time.
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There was scuffle between the security forces (police and RAP) and women protesters inside the Cheirap Court Complex in Imphal on Tuesday when six persons arrested by the police in a case related with a recent arms looting case were produced in the court of special NIA court, Imphal East.
The RAP personnel, who were called out to assist the police, in their bid to take control of the situation, resorted to using force besides firing tear gas shells to disperse protesters, resulting in several injuries.
Denouncing the use of “excessive forces” inside the court complex, the lawyers, suspending their business of the day, staged a sit-in protest at Cheirap Court Complex today under the joint aegis of All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) and High Court Bar Association (HCBA).
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Talking to media, AMBA president Puyam Tomcha informed that an emergency joint meeting of the two bodies held today decided to press the state government to conduct an inquiry into the violent incident that occurred inside the court complex.
The inquiry should be conducted within seven days. If not, the lawyers may resort to intense forms of protest, he added.
He alleged that in their bid to take control of the situation, the RAP personnel resorted to excessive force. They even targeted lawyers and reporters who were inside the court complex, he also alleged.
The police had not taken prior permission from the competent authorities of the court to deploy the security forces inside the court complex, he further alleged.
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The act of the security forces desecrated the sanctity of the court, he said, while adding that the court complex housed two judges and their permission to use force was not sought.
He urged the society as well as the security agencies including the police to uphold the sanctity of the court while asserting that use of “such excessive force” within a court premises is highly condemnable and unacceptable.
Those responsible for yesterday’s violent incident inside the court complex must be held accountable, he insisted.
Regarding yesterday’s incident, the AMBA president said that “such an unwanted incident” could have been avoided as the number of protestors were quite less compared to the manner in which the police and RAP personnel acted upon them.
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