Roger issue: State ready for CBI probe

IMPHAL: Bowing down to the unrelenting public pressure, the Manipur government has decided to ask CBI to investigate Irom Roger Singh murder case. Roger was allegedly gunned down by N Ajay Neetie, son of sports minister N Biren Singh.
On Monday evening, the Manipur cabinet met at the chamber of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and resolved to hand over the Roger murder case to the premier investigation agency.
The cabinet also decided to institute a CBI probe into the murder of Manipur Board of Secondary Education chairman N Kunjabihari Singh by some unidentified miscreants. He was shot dead on January 11.
Ajay (27) allegedly shot dead Roger on March 20 at Ghari village along National Highway 150 in Imphal West. Police arrested Ajay along with four of his accomplices and found an M 20 pistol, six bullets and a jeep on them. A resident of Wangkhei in Imphal East, Roger was pursuing his Plus II in a Bangalore-based college. On Saturday, a local court remanded the five to 14 days of judicial custody.
A group of angry women from Wangkhei staged a demonstration on Monday in protest against the incident. The opposition BJP also joined the ongoing mass protest against Roger's murder and sought the resignation of Okram if Biren did not step down from his ministerial post.
BJP's Manipur unit president Sh Shantikumar Sharma expressed concern over the alleged misuse of weapons by ministers and by their kin. "Despite the simmering anger of the people, Biren is silent. The chief minister should resign owing moral responsibility," Shantikumar said.
Recalling the recent incidents in which works minister K Ranjit allegedly fired at state advocate general N Koteshwor and the seizure of some bullets from the wife of another minister at Imphal airport, the BJP leader alleged that the government has not taken any action against the accused. "Since the unwanted trend of misusing weapons by the ministers and their families continue, people get licensed guns only for self-defence," he added.
On Saturday, the Manipur People's Party (MPP) had sent memoranda to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and Governor Gurbachan Jagat, seeking a CBI probe into the Roger murder case. Besides demanding Biren's resignation, the oldest regional party in the state had urged upon them to impose Central Rule in Manipur.Referring to Roger's killing, Okram has said his government would not spare anyone who commit such crime.