IMPHAL, May 20 (NNN): Wayfarers and road users along National Highway 39 in Senapati district had a harrowing time when a convoy of 5 Assam Rifles transporting five arrested cadres of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) was gheraoed by enraged womenfolk.
According to the police, today at around 2 pm five cadres of NSCN-IM were arrested by personnel of 5 Assam Rifles from Senapati bazaar in Manipur. Even as the arrested NSCN-IM cadres were being transferred from Senapati bazaar to Imphal, a group of womenfolk gathered at Ningthoupham village along National Highway 39 in Senapati district and gheraoed the convoy demanding the release of the NSCN-IM cadres.
The enraged womenfolk have demanded for the release of the arrested cadres and they are not willing to let the 5 Assam Rifles pass until their demand to release the NSCN-IM cadres was conceded to, added the police.
As the agitating womenfolk held sway, the highway almost came to a standstill with the womenfolk regulating the passage of vehicles and highway users, after checking them to let pass the logjam site.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the state police force has sent reinforcement to Ningthoupham village to break the embargo. The identities of the arrested NSCN-IM cadres are yet to be ascertained and till the filing of this report the standoff between the womenfolk demanding the release of the NSCN-IM cadres and the security forces continued.
