No clue on Dean murder,protests hit Manipur

Even as normal life was disrupted in Manipur following a day-long strike called by several students organisations..

Even as normal life was disrupted in Manipur on Tuesday following a day-long strike called by several students organisations to protest against Mondays brutal murder of Prof Islamuddin Khan,dean and a professor of economics,the police have picked up at least half a dozen suspects in connection with the case.

Khan (53) was shot on the university campus at Canchipur on the outskirts of the state capital around 12:15 pm on Monday,with the police putting the number of assailants at three. Canchipur falls under Imphal West district.

It is very difficult to pinpoint who or which organisation is behind the murder. Things are so complicated in Manipur,and so many things are happening at a time,that nothing can be said for sure about who killed him and why, Karnajit Singh,IGP(Law & Order),Manipur Police,told The Indian Express over the telephone from Imphal.

The police at the moment are looking at various aspects,including the interest shown by some underground groups in backing some candidates during the recently-held elections to the Manipur University Students Union (MUSU). Prof Khan,as dean of students welfare,was responsible for conducting the MUSU elections,which had also led to some controversies in the campus.

This is one angle that we are looking into. There could be umpteen reasons or just no reason at all behind the murder, the IGP said while pointing at the numerous incidents of killings,most of them without any plausible reason,which have been occurring in Manipur almost routinely. The state also has the highest number of armed underground groups,including the NSCN(IM) in some districts.

Meanwhile,reports from Imphal said the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL),a banned outfit,claimed responsibility for the incident. The KYKL,in a statement issued to media offices in Imphal,accused the professor of manipulating students union elections and recruitments. There was,however,no immediate confirmation if the university ever had any such complaints against him.

This is the second incident of any university official being targeted in Manipur. Earlier in December 2004,militants belonging to KYKL had kidnapped then vice-chancellor N Bijoy Singh and registrar RK Ranjan Singh. Though they were later released,the vice-chancellor was shot at in the legs.

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Khan,also proctor of the only university in the state,was walking from the economics department building towards the library when he was shot. Two of the three bullets,fired from a close range,pierced through his stomach and the third hit his left thigh. He was declared as brought dead when taken to the RIMS Hospital.