Hundreds of students and locals in Imphal East district have demanded a probe into the mysterious death of a medical student at the hostel of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.
22-year-old Sanaton Athokpam , a 5th-semester MBBS student, was found hanging under mysterious circumstances inside his hostel room at the RIMS on March 15 last.
As both his hands were tied and bruise marks were found on his body, his family members suspect foul play and have been pressing the State Government for an investigation into the death of the student.
The protesting students demanded that the investigation be conducted by an independent agency like the CBI, they contended.
The ongoing protests hit business at the Lamlong Bazar, the biggest market in Imphal East district, as vendors and shopkeepers suspended their activities for the day and joined the protest.
Taking part in the protest, the vendors demanded that the case should be handed over to the CBI, stating that they are doubtful of the State Government’s capacity to deliver justice in the case.
Talking to reporters at the protest site, convener of the ‘Justice for Sanaton Athokpam’, Moirangthem Loyalakpa alleged that even as the necessary post-mortem was conducted on the lifeless body of the student on March 16, the report detailing the nature of the death has not been released yet.