Premises of Kuki prof's 2 Meitei lawyers vandalised

GUWAHATI: The residences and chambers of two Meitei lawyers in Imphal were vandalised on Friday by a group of unidentified people allegedly as retaliation against them for representing a Hyderabad-based Kuki professor in court.

- Utpal Parashar

The two lawyers, Soraisham Chittaranjan and Victor Chongtham, and two others had submitted an application in Manipur high court on Thursday, withdrawing themselves as counsels for professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing, who teaches at the Hyderabad University, citing "personal difficulties". The court approved their application on the same day.

"On Friday, around 2.15pm, a large mob came to my residence at Singjamei Chingamakha Maibam Leirak locality in Imphal West district and started damaging the house and my chamber," said Chittranjan. "The entire house and its contents were damaged." The Singamei police station has registered a case and stated in its report that around 300 people 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, it luckily (there was) no casualty," said the police report, which HT has seen.

The first information report (FIR) has been lodged under Sections 147, 149, 448, 445 and 427 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, unlawful assembly, house trespass and causing loss and damage to property. Investigation is underway, police said.

"Though my family members were lucky to have escaped without any physical harm, police haven't provided us with any security," said Chittaranjan.