Testimony of Smt.Mutum (O) Bimola Devi, a traumatized gun survivor

Testimony of Smt.  Mutum (O) Bimola Devi

I, Smt. Mutum (O) Bimola Devi aged about 43 years, W/O (L) Sh. Mutum Ibohal Singh, resident of  Yurembam Maning Leikai, P.O. Patsoi, P.S. Patsoi, District Imphal West, 795003, work at the brick kiln factory located 2-3 kilometers away from my house and I receive a salary of Rs.3000/- p.m.  I have four children, master Jonson, 14 years reading in class 7, master Roshan, 12 years reading in class 4, miss Rosita, 10 years reading in class 3 and miss Sangeeta, 7 years reading in class 1, all are reading at Yurembam Government High School.

When my husband was alive, he earned his living by working as a contractor and we had a poultry farm in our residential house. We were sufficient and happy with what he earned. He was friendly with one Pheiroijam Pungcha and I did not appreciate his company because there was a rumor in our locality that he connection with the underground cadre belonging to the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council).

One day, I heard them discussing that there was a demand to the Pradhan of our locality from the group KCP (MC) for 7 mobile handsets and they should go for delivering the handsets to the cadres. I got very upset and made several attempts not to make him go with Pheiroijam Pungcha for delivering the handsets. I tore his pants and shirts on various accounts in order to prevent him from going. He also made several attempts to go and failed on many accounts.

However, on 18^th June 2008, he took dresses from his younger brother and went away quickly with Pheiroijam Pungcha on the pretext of delivering the handsets to Moirang and he promised that he would be back very soon. He did not return for many days, so our family members asked and searched for him in many places. We could not find him and I started presuming something bad must have happened to him.

On 29^th June 2008, we received a phone call from the State Police informing us about the death of my husband and his accomplice Pheiroijam Pungcha. We were told to collect their bodies, lying in the morgue of RIMS. I got dizzy on getting the news of the death of my husband. We went to collect his death body and came to know that he was shot in an encounter. We were told that several documents belonging to KCP (MC) along with a pistol 9mm were found in their possession at time of the encounter.  I went to the morgue with my in-laws, relatives and locality people. My husband’s body was already decomposed when we collected it from the morgue, it appears that he was killed many days back and the police gave the information lately. When I checked his decomposed body, there were several inflicted injuries on his right thigh and four bullet holes injury could be seen on his head. It seems my husband was harassed and tortured before he was shot to death. I felt so terrible and miserable, I got very angry, and cursed the police who killed my husband. I became depressed and cried along with my children that we have been left all alone to live on our own and thousands of question occurred on my mind, how could this happened to a person who was an innocent citizen.

I pleaded to my family members and local people to organize a rally and to form a JAC (Joint Action Committee), but my appeal fell upon deaf ears. There was no commotion against the alleged fake encounter and everyone remained silent as they have the apprehension that the police will come and harass them in future. There was no magisterial inquiry for further investigation of the matter and the matter became a closed chapter.

The underground cadres KCP (MC) published in the newspaper that my husband and his accomplice were not members of their group and they do not have knowledge and responsibility over his death.

I developed numerous problems after the death of my husband, starting from financial problem to adjustment with my family members. I started developing suicidal tendencies. My family members were though good to me and my children, and were helpful however I started getting inferiority complex and felt guilty over minor issues. At night when I go out for natures call, I do not feel comfortable moving around inside the house passing through the rooms. I get conscious that I am a nuisance and a burden to my family members. With the guilty conscience I shifted to the other house located in our courtyard which was used for poultry farming when my husband was alive. I made few necessary renovations and moved in along with my children. I do not depend on anyone and I suffered all alone. I always feel guilty and get conscious without any reason most of the time. I was a simple housewife when my husband was alive and hardly went out from the locality. Now, I have to go out, work and earn to support my children. Life has changed drastically after the death of my husband. After his death I developed fear psychosis, anxiety, depression and self discrimination. Whenever I come across the police I become scared and do my best to avoid them. I feel I am a burden to the society and do not wish to attend celebration, festivals or entertainment programs. I am living and working for the sake of my children.