Manipur tribal body withdraws call to govt staffers to skip work over cop’s suspension

CHURACHANDPUR/IMPHAL: A tribal body in Manipur has withdrawn its appeal to government employees to refrain from attending work over the suspension of a head constable who was allegedly seen with armed men in a video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.

In a statement issued late on Monday night, Churachandpur-based Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said, “In the interest of the general public, the closure of state government offices will be lifted immediately.”

On Monday, state government offices in Churachandpur and neighbouring Pherzawl districts recorded thin attendance after ITLF urged staffers to refrain from attending work.

The ITLF stated that its demand for “replacement” of district SP and DC and revocation of suspension of a head constable have not been met.

The ITLF also “expressed regret” over the violence that occurred at a government complex housing DC and SP offices in Churachandpur on February 15 and claimed that it took place without the tribal body’s knowledge, while urging people to “refrain from engaging in such aggressive behaviour”. At least two people were killed and 30 injured in firing by security forces after a mob barged into a government complex housing the SP and DC offices, torched vehicles and ransacked government property in Churachandpur on February 15, after the suspension of head constable Siamlalpaul.

Head constable Siamlalpaul was kept “under suspension with immediate effect until further orders” after a video of him with “armed men” and “sitting together with village volunteers” went viral on social media on February 14, a police order stated.

Police asked Siamlalpaul not to leave the station without prior permission and his pay and allowances were restricted to subsistence allowance admissible as per the rules.