No guns pointed: Ranjit

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, April 27, 2018: Forest management volunteer and forest minister’s brother clarified that the allegations made by betel leaves traders and transporters about the two mini trucks being taken away from them on gun point, as false.

The trucks were being taken back to forest beat office for conducting re-verification of the quantity of betel leaves loaded on the trucks.

At a press meet held at forest beat office located at Koirengei on Thursday, forest management volunteer, L. Ranjit who carried out the seizing of the trucks yesterday, said the trucks were stopped from unloading the betel leaves and taken back the forest beat office due to suspicions.

He further clarified that he is not working as PRO of minister, Shyamkumar and had not claimed to be also.

The trucks were taken over from the transporter after informing forest officials by acting on reliable information that there were discrepancies regarding the quantity of the betel leaves, he stated. As the drivers did not want to go back at the forest beat office, arguments took place in which the drivers started using strong invectives on him, he alleged. Therefore, he had simply called the brother of the minister, who arrived at the scene and had been sitting in the car, and came out of the vehicle and requested them to settle the matter peacefully, he said. He clarified that the brother of the minister did not use any gun to point at them.

The trucks were carried back to forest beat officer after the drivers gave them the consent to do so, and were handed back to the owners after coming to terms, stated Ranjit.

Regarding the incident today, younger brother of minister Shyamkumar said he had simply visited the betel leaves godown after receiving information from forest management officer.

He had not shown a gun and threatened anyone, he said. He would not do such things because his elder brother is a minister and it was truly unfortunate that allegations have been made against him, he added.