Three injured Kuki youths were evacuated from a hospital in Imphal after protests over their admission intensified.
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IMPHAL — Three injured Kuki youths undergoing treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal were shifted out of the hospital under tight security during the intervening night of June 16 and the 17th following continued public protests over their admission.
The evacuation reportedly took place after Manipur authorities assured the protesters that the three injured persons would be moved from the RIMS casualty ward at around 12.15 am on June 17.
Hours before the evacuation, security forces deployed around the hospital used tear gas shells and other crowd-control measures at around 9.30 pm on June 16 to disperse demonstrators who had gathered outside the premises after reports spread that the three injured persons were still undergoing treatment at RIMS.
The three youths were brought to RIMS on June 15 from the Army Hospital at Leimakhong after sustaining injuries during a clash in Kangpokpi district.
Also read: Armed groups clash in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district; 3 injured shifted to RIMS
Their admission sparked protests over the past two days, with demonstrators demanding that they be shifted from the hospital and raising questions over their identities and alleged affiliations.
According to the protesters, their agitation was driven by public anger over the recent killing of six Naga civilians who were allegedly abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district.
The three injured youths were eventually shifted under tight security shortly after midnight. It was later learnt that they had been moved to Churachandpur District Hospital.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the six Naga civilians remained unclaimed at the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Porompat, Imphal East district, after identification.
Civil society organisations representing the Naga community reportedly said that they would not claim the bodies until the government addressed their demands for justice.
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