Mason alleges

IMPHAL, May 11: A head mason, who had gone to collect pending wages for construction of the house on being supposedly called by the said owner (a doctor) for settling the dues, was allegedly stripped naked and brutally thrashed by the owner and some of his friends.
On the other hand the doctor has refuted the allegations levelled against him.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club, the victim, who identified himself as Pukhrambam Nabakishore (32) s/o P Biren of Nachou Mamang Leikai, Bishnupur district, alleged that the incident occurred on May 9 at Porompat.
He narrated that he was involved in the construction of a house belonging to one Dr Akoijam Bishorjit, s/o (L) Akoijam Tomalo of Thoubal district near Khongnangkhong Laiharao-fam, at Porompat from last year till February 20 this year as the head mason and he had 7 labourers under him. In a separate press meet held at Manipur Press Club today, Dr Akoijam Bishorjit has clarified that the charges levelled against him by Nabakishore are false and baseless and added that there were no extreme assault or harassment involved apart from some commotion with his friends.
Explaining that Bishorjit is a doctor at Raj Medicity,  Nabakishore said that Bishorjit owed him and the labourers a total of Rs 1.40 lakh as payment for the construction but he did not pay up and went into hiding.
He continued that as Bishorjit failed to pay the wages, the labourers constantly went to him (Nabakishore) demanding their wages and one day they even threatened to take away all of his valuables if he did not pay them.
On April 28, he and some of his friends went to RIMS quarters after getting news that Bishorjit was hiding there, he said, alleging that upon meeting him, the doctor began using abusive words and even said that he did not give them their wages because he did not want to do so and challenged him to do whatever he liked. Nabakishore continued that  situation subsided only after one of his friends got angry and threatened the doctor to make his deed known to everyone by uploading the story on social media sites and added that Bishorjit told them to come to the same place on May 9 to meet him again.
So, on May 9, at around 4.30 pm, Nabakishore and two of his friends went to RIMS quarters but Bishorjit called them and told them to meet him near JNIMS instead.
When, they went to JNIMS,  they were led to a house belonging to one N Premchand s/o N Nodiachand, located opposite JNIMS. Nabakishore narrated that Bishorjit, Premchand,  one Haobijam KK of Keibul Chandrapur and two other individuals who identified themselves as doctors, were already present inside the house and they began thrashing them (Nabakishore and his friends).
Stating that one of his friends ran away from the area, Nabakishore alleged that Bishorjit and his friends continued beating him and his other remaining friend, apart from even stripping him naked.  He continued that after being assaulted and harassed, they were set free at around 11 pm.
Informing that he had secretly recorded all the incidents on his mobile phone, Nabakishore said that initially he did not think about making any recording, but after he saw a wireless handset, similar to the ones used by security forces, in the possession of one of Bishorjit's friends, he became suspicious and thought it wise to make a recording in case things were to get complicated. He continued that a complaint has been lodged at Porompat PS and appealed to the authority concerned to look into the matter at the earliest. On the other hand, in a separate press meet held at Manipur Press Club today, Dr Akoijam Bishorjit has clarified that the charges levelled against him by Nabakishore are false and baseless and added that there were no extreme assault or harassment involved apart from some commotion with his friends.