Man lynched by anti-drug body members; scribe attacked during

One person, claimed to be a drug peddler, was allegedly beaten to death by members of an anti- drug trafficking body in Manipur's Imphal East district, following which a mob ransacked the organisation's office and the residence of its president, police said Saturday.

A journalist was also assaulted when he, along with other scribes, went to cover the mob violence.

Members of the Anti-Drug Joint Committee had picked up Mohammad Helim from his house on late Thursday night claiming that he was a drug peddler, police said.

They allegedly assaulted him during 'interrogation' leading to his death, the police said.

When the news of Helim's death spread, people of his locality rushed to Kairang area and ransacked the Committee's office and the residence of its president, Mohammad Ajimuddin, on Friday.

Ajimuddin, however, managed to flee.

Police had to lob tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

A group of journalists went to cover the violence and one of them, W Bikram Meitei, was attacked by the mob, and an official was injured while trying to protect him, police said.

Police said eight persons were arrested in connection with the mob violence.

In a statement, All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) said Meitei, crime reporter of Echelon Express, was attacked with iron rod and bamboo sticks.

The AMWJU thanked Sub-divisional Police Officer L Sangkarjit and the police personnel of Imphal East district for saving the life of the reporter.