IMPHAL, March 26: One person who turned out to be a suspected opium smuggler was shot and injured by AR personnel at Mongkot Chepu villahe under Ukhrul police station during the early hours Monday.
The AR personnel mistook him for a militant and shot him, however a person who was accompanying him during the incident managed to escaped.
The incident happened around 6 am when two CBZ motorcycle borne persons swiftly turned back their vehicle and slipped on seeing an Assam Rifles patrol party as they reached Mongkot Chepu village.
One of them, who was carrying a bag started fleeing towards a nearby bush near Litan River and attempted to throw away the bag. The AR personnel, suspecting the bag to be bombs, opened fire, injuring him before he was overpowered by them. He received multiple bullet injuries in the firing.
However, the other one who came with him managed to escape. Later, the AR team found four kg of opium inside the bag.
The injured has been identified as AS Youreiwom, 32 son of AS Youreiwom of Tungou village of Chingai sub-division in Ukhrul district. Youreiwom was rushed to JNIMS and later referred to RIMS where he had a surgery.