RPF destroys betel leaves worth Rs 15 lakh
Imphal,
Oct
24:
In
an
attempt
to
reduce
addiction
of
betel
and
tobacco
in
the
region,
a
proscribed
outfit
Revolutionary
People's
Front(RPF)
has
claimed
to
have
destroyed
betel
leaf
worth
Rs
15
lakh
and
killed
an
agent
at
Ningthoukhong
in
Manipur's
Bishenpur
district
on
Oct
23.
RPF owed responsibility of killing Prashad, agent of betel leaves and tobacco on Monday. Lily Leima, a member of the outfit said the organisation has banned betel leaves in Manipur since October 15 to stop people from chewing zarda. The outfit had also banned chewing tobacco.
The outfit, in their statement here, claimed that the man shot dead at Bishenpur district on Monday night had been warned several times to stop supplying betel leaves and other intoxicants. However, he did not heed to their warnings and was ultimately given ''capital punishment''.
Regarding the burning of betel leaves last night, the outfit had asked the agent to appear before the outfit's leaders within five days. The outfit had also requested the Indian Airlines, transport agencies and couriers not to transport banned substances into Manipur.
UNI