Media Person Among Eight Hurt In Attack During Anti-Drug Drive

IMPHAL, Sept 10: At least eight people including a media person were injured when a mob attacked a joint of members of BJYM and YADA during an anti-drug drive in Imphal’s Hatta Golapati on Thursday night.

Two persons allegedly involved in the attack were arrested in the follow up action of the police on Friday.

Reports said that a joint team of members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Manipur and Youth Athletic Development Association (YADA) conducted a drive against illegal drugs at Hatta Galopati late Thursday night.

The joint team conducted a search at houses of the locality and they discovered around 100 veils and 10 soap cases of suspected heroin powder in a locked room of one of the houses.

Following the detection of the large quantity of illegal drugs, BJYM president Barish Sharma who led the joint team contacted Porompat police over phone.

While awaiting the arrival of the police, the joint team continued the drive.

However, when they entered some suspected houses, gunshots were fired towards them, reports further said.

In the melee, some members of the joint team including BJYM president Barish Sharma and YADA general secretary Aziz Khan sustained injuries, reports also said.

Wayenbam Johnson, a reporter of the Naharolgi Thoudang daily who rushed to the spot along with reporters of other dailies published in Imphal, also sustained injuries.

The media person sustained injuries when the mob attacked him even as he identified himself to be a media person coming to cover the incident. He also wore a jacket issued to media persons by All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union.

With injuries on his head and other parts of the body, he was rushed to JNIMS hospital along with other injured members of the BJYM and YADA.

All of them were discharged after medical treatments later, reports further said.

Meanwhile, additional police force from Imphal East district headquarters rushed to the locality and took control of the situation.

The police further launched a manhunt operation and arrested two persons allegedly involved in the firing of guns.

The Porompat police also registered a case and initiated an investigation to nab those involved in the attack on the members of the BJYM and YADA, a police source added. (NNN)