Army beats up five Jummas in Naniachar

chtnews.com
News No. 82/2008, May 13, 2008

On 6 May 2008, captain Shamim and Sebedar Abdul Kashem from Naniachar zone beat up five Jummas who came to Morachengi Government Primary School ground to get themselves registered as voters.

The incident occurred at around 9:30 am. The Jummas stood up in a long queue in the simmering summer heat. The unwelcome abusive language of the army personnel deployed there to help the voter registration officials seemed to have shot up the temperature level beyond any tolerable point.

Some of the Jummas protested at such rude behaviour of the army, but of no use. At one stage, some of them shouted at captain Shamim: "dhara, dhara" (catch him, catch him). The soldiers became furious and instantly singled out five Jummas to mete out retribution.

The victims have been identified as Bir Ranjan Chakma (30) s/o Jharbodhan Chakma, Shanti Ranjan Chakma (35) s/o Sur Sen Chakma and Maya Dhan Chakma (22) s/o Allo Chakma of village North Morachengi, Ms Kalabi Chakma (35) d/o Roghunath Chakma of village South Morachengi and Kalamua Chakma (28) s/o Ah-Mua Chakma of village Karallyachari.

After the beating, Subedar Abdul Kashem apologized to the victims, a rare gesture of any army officer in CHT.