Guwahati/Imphal
With the State government not giving in to its demands for the removal of Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) from the district, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has said the officers are “now responsible for their own safety and security”.
At the same time the apex body of tribals has withdrawn its diktat to government employees to refrain from attending work over the suspension of a head constable who was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab. The ITLF termed the suspension of the head constable by the Churachandpur SP as unfair.
In a statement issued late on Monday night, the ITLF said, “In light of their safety, the district’s DC and SP were ordered to depart. Nevertheless, it has come to light that they have risked their lives to return to the district. They are now responsible for their own safety and security.”
The ITLF stated that its demand for replacement of district SP (Shivanand Surve) and DC (Dharun Kumar) and revocation of suspension of a head constable have not been met but announced that “in the interest of the general public, the closure of state government offices will be lifted immediately”.
State government offices in Churachandpur and neighbouring Pherzawl districts had recorded a thin attendance following the ITLF’s diktat.
On February 15, a 400-strong mob had tried to storm in the complex housing the DC and SP office in Churachandpur following the suspension of a head constable Siamlalpaul after a video of him with “armed men” and “sitting together with village volunteers” went viral on social media on February 14. Two persons were killed and 30 others injured as the security forces thwarted the mob attack.
The ITLF claimed the attack took place without its knowledge and urged people to “refrain from engaging in such aggressive behaviour”. It also expressed “regret” over the violence.
“ITLF regrets the incident that occurred on the evening of February 15, 2024. it happened without our knowledge. We ask that people refrain from engaging in such aggressive behaviour going forward. Anyone who engages in such hostile behaviour in the future will be held responsible for their actions and will have to bear the repercussions on their own,” the statement read.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has suspected a hidden agenda behind the mob attack and the State government has ordered a magisterial enquiry to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the incident and sought submission of the report within 30 days.
