Kangleipal Escapes
Rights activist flees from hospital
Imphal, Dec 29: Sapamcha Kangleipal, a rights activist who was arrested under National Security Act for criticising the government for its move to arm villagers of Heirok, escaped from the security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital today.
Official sources said Kangleipal escaped through a window between midnight and 5am this morning.
Police investigators found iron bars of the only window in the room cut. They also recovered a piece of hacksaw from the room this morning.
Later tonight, three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended.
The security ward is an extension of the jail. “We cannot say how he escaped. An inquiry will be held to find out everything, including security lapses, if any,” inspector-general of police (law and order), M. Karnajit Singh, said.
The deputy commissioner of Imphal East, Y. Thamkishore Singh, visited the security ward as did the superintendents of police, Imphal West and East, L. Kailun and Th. Rdheshyam Singh.
Kangleipal was arrested on May 7 for criticising the Manipur government’s move to arm Heirok in Thoubal district. Kangleipal, president of Manipur Forward Youth Front, was booked under Section 124(B) IPC, Section 9 Punjab Security Act and Section 8 (B) of Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act, all dealing with sedition.
Kangleipal was freed on May 13 on bail by the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West, M. Padmeshore. The police re-arrested him from the court gate the same day after Imphal West district magistrate, A. Ibocha Singh, issued an order to detain him under NSA.
Kangleipal was shifted from Sajiwa Jail to the security ward of the hospital for treatment of a stomach problem on July 21. There were 10 in the security ward, including Kangleipal. Of the rest, two are woman militants.
The security ward is guarded by 31 personnel, including homeguards. Two sections (22 members) of the 6th Manipur Rifles man the two locked entrances. Internal security is taken care of by the police and homeguards.
Two militants were with Kangleipal in room 2. “I found him missing at 5 this morning and informed the jail authorities,” havildar Md Nazir said.
The cells are locked at 8pm every day and the roll call is at 5am. “I took him to the toilet at 10.30 last night. I went to my room after I locked him up again,” the havildar said.
The two inmates said they did not see or hear anything last night.
They were shifted to another room after the incident.
Security personnel guarding the wards said they did not hear anything about cutting iron bars in the cells. “Construction is going on around the security ward. The labourers use electric machines to cut iron, which makes a lot of noise. So it will be difficult to find out if anything happened in the cells,” a securityman there said.
The hospital complex is being upgraded to a medical college.
Source: The Telegraph
Imphal, Dec 29: Sapamcha Kangleipal, a rights activist who was arrested under National Security Act for criticising the government for its move to arm villagers of Heirok, escaped from the security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital today.
Official sources said Kangleipal escaped through a window between midnight and 5am this morning.
Police investigators found iron bars of the only window in the room cut. They also recovered a piece of hacksaw from the room this morning.
Later tonight, three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended.
The security ward is an extension of the jail. “We cannot say how he escaped. An inquiry will be held to find out everything, including security lapses, if any,” inspector-general of police (law and order), M. Karnajit Singh, said.
The deputy commissioner of Imphal East, Y. Thamkishore Singh, visited the security ward as did the superintendents of police, Imphal West and East, L. Kailun and Th. Rdheshyam Singh.
Kangleipal was arrested on May 7 for criticising the Manipur government’s move to arm Heirok in Thoubal district. Kangleipal, president of Manipur Forward Youth Front, was booked under Section 124(B) IPC, Section 9 Punjab Security Act and Section 8 (B) of Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act, all dealing with sedition.
Kangleipal was freed on May 13 on bail by the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West, M. Padmeshore. The police re-arrested him from the court gate the same day after Imphal West district magistrate, A. Ibocha Singh, issued an order to detain him under NSA.
Kangleipal was shifted from Sajiwa Jail to the security ward of the hospital for treatment of a stomach problem on July 21. There were 10 in the security ward, including Kangleipal. Of the rest, two are woman militants.
The security ward is guarded by 31 personnel, including homeguards. Two sections (22 members) of the 6th Manipur Rifles man the two locked entrances. Internal security is taken care of by the police and homeguards.
Two militants were with Kangleipal in room 2. “I found him missing at 5 this morning and informed the jail authorities,” havildar Md Nazir said.
The cells are locked at 8pm every day and the roll call is at 5am. “I took him to the toilet at 10.30 last night. I went to my room after I locked him up again,” the havildar said.
The two inmates said they did not see or hear anything last night.
They were shifted to another room after the incident.
Security personnel guarding the wards said they did not hear anything about cutting iron bars in the cells. “Construction is going on around the security ward. The labourers use electric machines to cut iron, which makes a lot of noise. So it will be difficult to find out if anything happened in the cells,” a securityman there said.
The hospital complex is being upgraded to a medical college.
Source: The Telegraph
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