The residences and office chambers of two Meitei lawyers in Manipur’s Imphal were vandalised on Friday by a group of unidentified people allegedly as retribution for them representing a Hyderabad-based Kuki professor in a court case as counsels.
Incidentally, the two lawyers, Soraisham Chittaranjan and Victor Chongtham, and two others had submitted an application in the Manipur high court on Thursday, withdrawing themselves as counsels for professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing citing “personal difficulties”. The high court approved their application the same day.
“On Friday, around 2:15pm, a huge mob came to my residence at Singjamei Chingamakha Maibam Leirak locality in Imphal West district and started damaging the house and my chamber. The entire house and its contents were damaged,” said Chittranjan.
The Singamei police station has registered a case and stated in its report that nearly 300/400 people had stormed the house of the lawyer “as news spread that he (Chittaranjan)” was the counsel “of a Kuki community case in Manipur High Court in connection with ongoing communal clashes between Meitei and Kuki community”.
“The mob became tense and violent and destroyed his house occupied along with his brothers S Jiteshwor and S Manoranjan...as a result of which most of the house and household items were totally damaged, but luckily (there was) no casualty,” the police report, which HT has seen, stated.
{{/usCountry}}“The mob became tense and violent and destroyed his house occupied along with his brothers S Jiteshwor and S Manoranjan...as a result of which most of the house and household items were totally damaged, but luckily (there was) no casualty,” the police report, which HT has seen, stated.
{{/usCountry}}A first information report (FIR) has been lodged under sections 147, 149, 448, 445 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code for rioting, unlawful assembly, house trespass and causing loss and damage to property, police said, adding an investigation into the matter is underway.
“Though my family members were lucky to have escaped without any physical harm, the police have not provided us with any security. At present we are taking shelter in a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) guest house,” said Chittaranjan.
In another incident, around five hours after the attack on Chittaranjan’s house, a mob targeted the residence and chamber of another lawyer identified as Victor Chongtham (who was also a counsel for Kham Khan Suan Hausing) located at Khonghampat Awang Leikai locality in Imphal West district.
The mob allegedly pelted stones at Chongtham’s house and damaged the walls and windows of the house. No one was injured in the attack. The lawyer was away in Agartala at the time of the incident.
“The attack took place between 7pm and 10pm on Friday. Most members of the mob were residents of the area. There were some women too. The police had visited my place after the incident, but I am not aware if a case has been lodged,” said Victor.
Calls to Imphal West police officials, including superintendent of police (SP) S Ibomcha Singh, for more details of the case and progress in the investigation into both incidents went unanswered.
“Me and my colleague had accepted the case of Hausing on being instructed by a Supreme Court lawyer who is my mentor. But since myself and my colleague are Meitei and to avoid any hurt to the Meitei community, we withdrew ourselves from the matter on August 31,” said Chittaranjan.
“But regrettably, around 300/400 unknown people destroyed my office annexed to my residential building completely. Under the present circumstances, legal professionals feel hesitation in handling cases involving threats to personal liberty and security,” he added.
Kham Khan Suan Hausing, who is the head of the political science department at the University of Hyderabad, had filed a criminal petition in the Manipur high court on August 29 seeking quashing of a court case registered against him in Imphal East and withdrawal of court summons issued to him.
The case against Hausing was lodged by Imphal East resident Moirangthem Manihar Singh in July following an interview by the professor with journalist Karan Thapar in The Wire about the current situation in Manipur, which was aired on June 17.
In his complaint, Singh had alleged that Hausing made a derogatory statement about a holy religious site associated with the Meitei community and defamed the Meitei community, which in turn increased “communal enmity” at a time when Manipur was witnessing ethnic clashes.
In an order issued on July 6, the court of chief judicial magistrate of Imphal East took cognizance of the complaint and stated that there were prima facie materials for offences against Hausing under sections of IPC including promoting enmity between different groups (153A), using as a declaration knowing it to be false (200), deliberate act to outrage religious feelings (295A) and criminal conspiracy (120B). It asked him to appear in court on July 28.
Hausing is facing another case in Imphal West district where a complainant has accused him of not being an Indian citizen and alleged that he had forged his documents to procure identity papers. The court has asked the police to prove the accusation.
Hausing had approached the Supreme Court seeking relief in both cases and on August 14, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had prohibited any coercive action against the professor for two weeks allowing him “breathing space” to approach a competent court for relief. Hausing had filed his petition in the Manipur high court after that.
“The charge questioning my nationality is a flimsy one filed out of ignorance and spite. I am an Indian citizen by birth and all my documents say so...In connection with the other case, we are planning to approach the Supreme Court and get the matter transferred out of Manipur,” Hausing said.
The next date of hearing in Hausing’s criminal petition pending in the Manipur High Court has been fixed as September 4.
Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between Meitei and tribal Kuki communities since May 3, which has claimed over 160 lives and displaced around 50,000. Eight people have lost their lives and nearly 20 were injured in a fresh spate of violence that started on August 29 and continued for three days.