80 Manipur University students arrested; Ibobi appeals unconditional release of students

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Sep. 21 (EMN): Eighty students and six professors of the Manipur University were arrested after police stormed the boys hostel early on Friday Sep. 21, following a complaint lodged by the Vice Chancellor’s office.

According to inspectors general of Police S Kailun and Clay Khongsai, the police entered the campus at midnight on the basis of a complaint by Vice Chancellor K Yugindro saying that on Thursday he was prevented from taking charge. He alleged that he was detained and forced to sign a note of apology for disturbing the peace in the university campus when he along with some officials went to campus on Sep. 20 to take charge of VC, the police officers said.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey handed over the charge of Pro-Vice Chancellor to Prof. Yugindro a day after he was put under suspension by HRD Ministry on Sep. 17. Subsequently, the ministry through an official order signed by Under Secretary Vijay Kumar without naming anyone directed the Pro-VC to hold the charge of office of vice chancellor of the university on Sep. 19.

“The students who were picked up for verification during the search which was taken up with a written permission of Vice Chancellor of the University and also in presence of executive magistrate at about 2 am of Friday, will be verified and those who are not involved in the case will be released after the verification,” the police officers told reporters.

The police action triggered massive protests by the students leading to scuffles that prompted the police to fire several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

Amar Yunan, a professor, said some students sustained injuries and were bleeding.

Manipur University has been gripped by unrest for the last few months following agitation by the students and teachers of the university demanding removal of the Vice Chancellor Adya Pandey on charges of irregularities.

The university was shut for 85 days. Normalcy returned earlier in September when a fact-finding committee was set up to look into the charges against Pandey, who has been accused of being involved in financial and administrative irregularities.

Pandey, who has denied the charges, was suspended on September 17.

Vice Chancellor in-charge Yugindro took charge on Friday after he was forced to resign on Thursday by some teachers and students.

Internet services have been suspended in Manipur for the next five days.

Meanwhile, condemning the incident, the former chief minister and CLP leader O Ibobi said that the Congress will not remain as a silent spectator.

Ibibo has appealed unconditional release of the arrested students.

The students staying at the Boy’s hostel expressed unhappiness over the incident saying that the unrest situation in the university campus has been disturbed their preparing for the ongoing semester examination.