Police seek people’s cooperation in investigation over the death of school student

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, August 9, 2019: The cause of death of the class VII student of a school in Imphal might be due to having depression of her broken family and police need to examine the parents and family members also despite of all the suspects to find out the history of the deceased says Police.

Inspector general of police, Clay Khongsai appealed to the public to co-operate the investigation so that it could be done with free and fair

Clay told reporters that investigation in connection with the death of the girl student is still under process and has been progressing. Due to imposition of bandh and adding various resolutions from JAC form against the death of the student, investigation over the incident has been hampered. During the course of investigation by the special investigating team it is found that there are suspects that the death might be due to having problems in her family, he added.

The senior police officer said during investigation it is revealed that the father o the deceased had three wives and the deceased is the daughter of the second wife. The girl was staying with her step mother since 2009. From the statement of other inmates of the school boarding they revealed that the girl often remain alone. Some documents were recovered which belongs to the decease, he added.

In the notebook of the deceased girl, she wrote several times about her love towards her real mother and calling her to come and take her as she was very sad. Investigation is also on other aspects are still going on, said Clay.

He said the investigating team seized one plastic rope, yellow in colour of length 38 feet and 1.5 inch having six knots and one plastic rope of the same colour of length 4 feet and 4 inch having one knot from her uncle’s farm house at Haraorou. The rope used in the hanging was similar to it. The two ropes have been sent to forensic science laboratory for examination, he added.

The post mortem report opines the cause of death as due to asphyxia resulting from hanging and one incised wound on medical aspect of left forearm measuring 2 X 0.1 (in cm.) skin deep was also seen. During police interrogation her step mother reported that the wound was due to burn by hot pressure cooker, Clay added.

With the demands from family members and people’s joint action committee (JAC) formed in connection the death of the student section 302 IPC was added and investigated.

Superintendent of police, Imphal West, Meghachandra said necessary steps have been taking up to solve the case at the earliest.

He also appealed the public to co-operate with police as agitations and bandh is hampering the investigation process. He appealed to student bodies, civil bodies, JAC and general public not to make baseless observation through social media. Instead they should share any facts and evidences related with the case. He also said a case had been registered at city police against the deceased girl’s uncle on charge of attempt to murder to his wife in 2016 and the case is still under trial.

Police need to investigate through different angles whether cause of death was suicide or murder but if co-operation is not given the case might take time to solve, he asserted.

As the government failed to release members of the JAC and TUC (Thangmeiband United Club)  Pratap Leishangthem, and Elangbam Joykumar without condition, ten members of JAC and members of TUC surrendered today at about 2 pm. Police arrested the members under the charge of foiling peace in the state.

The arrested persons were JAC convenor Thingnam  Chitaranjan Singh, its members Thongbam Bashanta, Khundrakpam Shyamkanhai, Thongbam Shibaduta, Samsetsabam Rabi, Naorem Shantosh, and Sagolsem Bashanta; TUC general secretary Heisnam Phoren, its members Khosham Babul and Sapam Pakpi.