Lamdan brutalised in ambush aftermaths: Villagers

IMPHAL, July 20: In the aftermath of Tuesday morning's ambush on a CRPF patrol party near Lamdan village under Loktak police station, in which four jawans were killed, several residents of Lamdan were tortured and a housewife was raped by CRPF personnel intent on revenge yesterday, the village authorities have allleged. Apart from the rape, two women of the village, a mother and a daughter, were also badly molested, they charged. According to a press statement issued by the chairman of the Lamdan village authority, yesterday evening at around 5:30 pm a group of CRPF personnel, led by assistant commandant D Biswas descended on the village and started assaulting the villagers indiscriminately. A number of villagers were also taken up to the CRPF camp where they were subjected to further torture. According to the press release, two women of the village, Kakhudunlu, 40, wife of Achong, and her daughter, Namthanchunglu, were badly molested by the CRPF men. A housewife of the village was also raped by CRPF personnel by holding her father-in-law and husband at gunpoint, the press release further alleged. At least 13 villagers sustained injuries as result of the CRPF brutality, out of whom 11 had to be hospitalized. They were identified as M Fujain, 37, son of the village chief, M Garipou, 50, M James, 18, O Achung, 49, D Lungjangpou, 18, Ph Adin, 25, Mrs Kuchunglu, 49, Miss Thanliangli, 17, Phom Bahadur Nepali, 49, of Tokpa village, and his son Dilipkumar Nepali, 19, K Gaiku, 30, K Gaipong, 30 and P Adim, 42. The press statement strongly condemned the CRPF atrocities, and has demanded that the state government and the higher authorities of the CRPF punish the guilty CRPF personnel.