March | 2010 | Justice4Siasiam

NDTV Correspondent, Friday March 5, 2010, Guwahati

In Manipur’s Churachandpur, coffin of 15-year-old Lianlemsiam is being dug out, almost two months after his death. It was an unusual blog campaign launched by Churachandpur residents living outside the state which forced the authorities to start investigating into the cause of Siasiam’s death.

“Immediately we started investigation and the warden against whom the complaint was made has been arrested,” said Jacintha Lazarus, Deputy Commissioner, Churachandpur.

Medical reports indicate that Siasiam was tortured and suffered ‘multiple injuries following alleged assault’. His brother John witnessed Siasiam being brutally beaten with an iron rod by the warden of the Angel’s Place orphanage where they were staying since their father’s death.

“I saw my brother being beaten and injured on his chest,” said John.

On December 31, 2009, Siasiam died of “Pulmonary Oedema” but the orphanage hushed up the incident and informed his family that he died of illness. He was quietly buried in a remote town called Singat.

“My son was beaten to death but police still wouldn’t register a case,” said his mother Mrs Chingkhovun.

Blogs on this incident generated public anger against the orphanage and a massive social media campaign followed within the Zomi community. They now want justice for Siasiam.

Watch the video clip here.

Times of India Guwahati edition March 3, 2010

K Sarojkumar Sharma | TNN

Imphal: The death of a 15-year-old boy in Manipur’s Churachandpur district after being allegedly beaten and sodomised by the warden of a destitute home has sent shockwaves across the state.

The incident comes at a time when the Okram Ibobi Singh government is busy rescuing hundreds of Manipuri children trafficked to Tamil Nadu and allegedly subjected to all kinds of harassment.

“Lianlemsiam alias Siasiam, was tortured by Cinkhanmuang, on November 28 last year. The boy’s fault was he had mimicked the warden of Angels Place, the orphanage,” claimed Lunte Samte, a key functionary of Justice For Siasiam (Delhi chapter), an NGO set up recently.

Siasiam’s brother S Phungliangsang accused the warden of kicking the boy several times and shoving an iron rod into his anus. A resident of Singngat village, the boy had to be rushed to the district hospital as his anus bled profusely. Hospital records said the provisional diagnosis of Siasiam’s injury was traced to anaemia following alleged assault. “The hospital, however, discharged him against medical advice,” Samte said.

As his condition deteriorated,he was taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal on December 29. “He died in the hospital two days later,” Samte said. The medical certificate issued by the hospital cited the reason of the boy’s death as immediate cause of death – pulmonary oedema and the antecedent cause – anaemia. But no post-mortem was conducted, he added. “What’s more shocking is to learn that the Angels’ Place management prepared an affidavit stating that it had no role to play, whatsoever, in the death of Lianlemsiam and no compensation can be claimed by his family,” the social activist said. If any problem arises in future, the victim’s (illiterate) mother, Chingkhovung, will be held responsible, the affidavit stated.

Chingkhovun was also made to give her thumb impression on the document. She was also compelled to believe that her son died of blood cancer and not because of severe torture and physical assault by the warden, Samte said. Following a complaint filed by his mother and huge public outcry, police arrested Chinkhanmuang on February 19.

On February 22,Siasiams body was dug out from the local cemetery and RIMS forensic experts conducted an on-the-spot autopsy. When contacted a Singngat police officer in Churachandpur said an FIR has been registered and the warden arrested. A local court has sent him to police custody. Investigation is on and necessary action may be taken against orphanage authorities as and when required, he added.

Incidentally, the Manipur Social Welfare Department treats Angels’ Place as an ‘unlicensed home’ because it’s yet to get registered under the Juvenile Justice Act. The department is also planning stern action against the house for operating without registration. It has received a report on the orphanage prepared by the Churachandpur District Child Welfare Committee. This follows a complaint lodged by the Zomi Mothers Association seeking punishment for the ‘guilty’ staff of the orphanage. “Since an investigation is on and warden has been arrested, it will be premature to make public the report submitted by the Churachandpur Child Welfare Committee,” a Social Welfare Department official said.

Efforts to contact authorities of Angels’ Place, which currently houses about 100 orphans, drew a blank.

Times of India Guwahati | March 3, 2010

15-yr-old sodomized by warden, dies

K Sarojkumar Sharma | TNN

Imphal: The death of a 15-year-old boy in Manipur’s Churachandpur district after being ‘allegedly’ beaten and sodomised by the warden of a destitute home has sent shockwaves through the state.

The incident comes at a time when the Okram Ibobi Singh government is busy rescuing hundreds of Manipuri children trafficked to Tamil Nadu. “Lianlemsiam alias Siasiam was tortured by Cinkhanmuang on November 28 last year. The boy’s fault was he had mimicked the warden of Angels’ Place, the orphanage,” claimed Lunte Samte, a key functionary of Justice For Siasiam (Delhi chapter), an NGO set up recently.

Siasiam’s brother S Phungliangsang accused the warden of kicking the boy several times and shoving an iron rod into his anus. The boy, a resident of Singngat village, had to be rushed to the district hospital as his anus bled profusely. Hospital records said the provisional diagnosis of Siasiam’s injury was traced to “anaemia following alleged assault”. “The hospital, however, discharged him against medical advice,” Samte said.

As his condition deteriorated, he was taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here on December 29. “He died in the hospital two days later,” Samte said.

On February 22, Siasiam’s body was dug out from the local cemetery and RIMS forensic experts conducted an onthe-spot autopsy. Police said an FIR has been registered and the warden arrested.

Times of India Bangalore | March 3, 2010