By Anwesha Bhaumik

Kolkata, Jun 5 (IANS): Angry Kuki tribesmen torched an Assam Rifles outpost in Manipur and burnt down two vehicles on Saturday after a local man was allegedly killed by the troops on Friday night.

The police said that tension prevailed in the Twilang area of Manipur's Kangpokpi district after the angry mob stormed the Gelnel outpost of the 44th Battalion of Assam Rifles.

One Gypsy and one Tata pick-up vehicle of the force were burnt down by the mob, which demanded the arrest of Major Alok Sathe, the Post Commander of E Company of the 44th Assam Rifles.

The mob alleged that Sathe along with a rifleman named Amar and two others in civil dress were responsible for shooting dead one Mangboilal Lhouvum at around 9 pm on Friday.

Kuki Inpi leaders said the villagers in Gelnel (Banglabung) are convinced that Lhouvum, a truck helper, was killed without any provocation by Sathe and his accomplices at Chalwa village.

They said the villagers were enraged when the local police said that they could not arrest the Major and his men because they are covered by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Thangminlen Kipgen, General Secretary, Kuki Inpi of Kangpokpi district, said that the Assam Rifles had contended that it can only take action after an appropriate inquiry.

But the villagers want immediate action because they are convinced that Sathe was responsible for the 'pre-meditated' murder of the poor father of four children, Kipgen told IANS.

Assam Rifles officers were unwilling to comment before an internal inquiry into the allegations.

But Kipgen told IANS that the villagers heard Lhouvum saying "Major Alok shot me" before he succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital four hours after he was shot.

After a heated confrontation, the Kangpokpi police led by the Additional SP (Operations) and the officer in-charge of Chalwa police station took Sathe into their custody and brought him down to the Kangpokpi police station.

The body of Lhouvum had already been deposited at the RIMS morgue for post-mortem by the Kangpokpi police on Saturday morning.

Meanwile, condemnation from various Kuki civil bodies, including the Thadou Students' Association, Kangpokpi local bodies, and many others poured in over what they allege was a gruesome murder.