Sangbad Voice 9, New Delhi: Chaos erupted at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH)
in Assam on Saturday morning, ignited by the contentious issue surrounding the
release of the bodies of ten individuals from Manipur, who tragically lost
their lives during an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in
Jiribam on November 11.
The deceased were transported to SMCH on November 12, where
postmortem examinations were conducted over the subsequent two days, according
to official accounts. However, a gathering of nearly 400 locals from both
Jiribam and Assam has been encamped at the hospital since the bodies' arrival,
vehemently obstructing the police from retrieving them.
As the clock struck 10 a.m., senior police officials, accompanied
by additional forces, arrived at SMCH to initiate the process of removing the
bodies from the morgue. Yet, the protesters resolutely positioned themselves in
front of the morgue, effectively barring police access. Their demand was clear:
they insisted that the bodies be released on-site, while law enforcement and
government representatives maintained that the remains would be transferred to
Churachandpur in Manipur.
In a bid to mediate the escalating situation, Inspector General of
Police (Law and Order) Prasanta Kumar Bhuiyan and Cachar Superintendent of
Police Numal Mahatta engaged with the demonstrators, granting them a mere 15
minutes to deliberate on whether they would acquiesce to the authorities'
directives. Mahatta asserted, “This is not Manipur; this is Assam, and we will
not condone such acts of violence. The bodies originated from Manipur, and it
is our obligation to ensure their return to Churachandpur. Should you wish to
partake in the final rites, you are welcome to travel there.”
