Police break up HIV activists’ sit-in

AIDS workers at the sit-in in Imphal on Friday. A Telegraph picture Imphal, April 17 : Police today dispersed a sit-in here staged to protest the murder of a HIV-positive youth allegedly by his relatives recently. Sanjenbam German, 18, from Uripok Tourangbam Leikai of Imphal West was found lying on the roadside at Malom under Nambol police station in Bishnupur district of Manipur on April 7 with injuries on his head caused by a heavy object. Nambol police arrested Dandan Devi and her husband Leishangthem Shyam Singh on the same day after her nephew, German, was found murdered. The couple were remanded in police custody for nine days — till today. German’s parents, S. Choudhury Singh and Sanahanbi Devi, had died of AIDS nearly 10 years ago. After his parents died — he was the only child — his aunt Dandan and uncle-in-law Shyam came to stay with German in his house at Uripok Tourangbam Leikai. Demanding punishment of the culprits activists of Social Awareness Service Organisation, Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+), User Manipur, Care Foundation, Bosco Mangal and Kripa Foundation staged a sit-in at Keishampat crossing of Imphal city from 9am today. German was under the care of these organisations, which work in the field of HIV/AIDS. In a memorandum submitted to the director-general of police, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, on April 8, these organisations charged that Dandan, her husband, their son Abosana and one of Abosana’s friends Phuritsabam Naoba were involved in the murder. The AIDS activists also held a sit-in simultaneously at Bishnupur bazaar in Imphal city. A police team broke up the sit-in at Keishampat crossing around 1pm saying the protesters did not have the permission from the authorities. The police also broke up the sit-in in Bishnupur bazaar. The AIDS workers slammed the police action. “We tried since yesterday for getting a permission, but it was denied. We also tried this morning again for the permission but in vain. Denying permission and breaking up of the sit-in was nothing but discrimination and contempt of the people living with HIV/AIDS by the government,” the president of the MNP+, Deepak Leimapokpam, said. He said the sit-in was to seek justice and also highlight the plight of young orphans of HIV-positive patients like German. The health workers are planning to take out a rally on April 20 in Imphal city. Nambol police today said they arrested Abosana, son of the arrested couple and another aunt of the victim identified as Memchoubi Devi yesterday. All the four arrested persons were produced before the court of chief judicial magistrate Bishnupur, Gaiphun Sillu, today and remanded in police custody for five days.