IMPHAL, May 31: Political activist Okram Henry has clarified that he had no hand in the arrest of volunteers of Kangleipak Students’ Association who were charged with assaulting a shopkeeper in Khurai Telepati for alleged adulteration of Tata salt with inferior brands.
The nephew of Chief Minister O Ibobi while refuting assumptive remarks by some civil society organisations about his involvement in the arrest of KSA activists asserted that till today he had not stood or worked against any CSO of the KSA.
Presenting his version of the chain of events leading to the arrest of the KSA activists, the candidate from Wangkhei AC at the last Assembly polls said he was informed about the incident of assault on a shopkeeper named Dasarath Prasad by some local workers who sought his help in taking police action against the attackers. Taking cognisance of the seriousness of the case, Henry said he had advised them to lodge a complaint at the concerned police station or preferably arrive at an understanding with the students for the good of one and all.
Later in the night on the same day, Mutum Kumarjit, a senior person who was close to him, and two women came to his residence to consult about the arrest of the best friend of his son by the police, who latter turned out to be one of the KSA activists who had attacked the shopkeeper, Henry recounted. My only suggestion to them was to settle for a compromise before the matter worsens, Henry added.
Henry pleaded ignorance about the arrested student being a KSA activist at that time and treated the trio as family of a student. He denied using any slang or talking in a high voice to anyone who came for assistance from the side of the students’ association.
Some rival politicians took unfair advantage of the incidents and distributed pamphlets indicting him of siding with non-locals by providing them full protection and supporting the salt adulteration business, he rued. He also requested the administration to release the arrested students without further ado.
Kumarjit verified Henry’s account stating that the allegations against the latter were unfortunate. He affirmed that he called on Henry to seek help for the release of Sukham Bidyananda, a friend of his son, and pledged that he came to know about Bidyananda’s affiliation to the students’ group and about his position as general secretary only after that night.
Next day, local newspapers carried stories of the KSA student’s arrest and Henry was charged as the main culprit behind the arrest. The allegation is unfounded and baseless and the whole incident is very regrettable, he added.