Normal vehicular traffic along National Highway-37 (NH-37, also known as Imphal-Jiribam road that leads to Assam, was disturbed on Friday after residents of Nungba area of Noney district of Manipur blocked the highway in protest against the arrest of three local youths by police.
Residents said that the three youths picked up by a team of police commandos earlier on Friday were innocent people. They demanded immediate and unconditional release of the three youths.
Reports reaching here said that the residents, mostly womenfolk, had also given a strong resistance when the police took away the three youths identified as Lovingson (25), Hengmanglunga (26) both from Nungba and Gaikhangphwang (27) from Longdai village.
Police sources said that they were picked up by the police commandos attached with Nungba police station in the morning of Friday. However, it is not clear on the reasons for picking the youths up by the police.
They were taken to Imphal via Khoupum by police in a bid to avoid giving further obstruction in taking the youths in their custody, the reports said.
After the police commandos took them away to Imphal, a large number of residents of the Nungba area rose up and staged a protest along NH-37, disturbing the normal vehicular traffic, the reports also said.
As their demand was not addressed despite the protest, the angered residents completely blocked the highway. They announced continuation of the blockade until the three youths are released without any condition.