Stir as woman caught in protest miscarries

The relatives of the woman and other protestors demanded that if she is still alive, the police should hand her over along with the foetus; otherwise, they would refuse to accept the remains.

A 34-year-old woman, who suffered asphyxiation from tear gas shells fired by the police during a protest in Imphal earlier in the week, suffered a miscarriage on Saturday, officials said, with the incident triggering fresh protests in the city.

The relatives of the woman and other protestors demanded that if she is still alive, the police should hand her over along with the foetus; otherwise, they would refuse to accept the remains. (HT PHOTO)

The woman, Laishram Ningol Sanjita Devi, was in the eighth month of her pregnancy, and continues to be in a critical condition at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), a statement from the hospital said.

The hospital further appealed to the public to not spread misinformation about the woman’s health. “She is on ventilator support, but the medication to maintain her BP has been adjusted,” the hospital said.

The body of the stillborn child has been handed over to the woman’s husband, the hospital said.

However, an irate mob deposited the body of the foetus at Singjamei Police Station, holding the police responsible for the incident. Tensions escalated outside the police station as a crowd gathered. The relatives of the woman and other protestors demanded that if she is still alive, the police should hand her over along with the foetus; otherwise, they would refuse to accept the remains.

During the confrontation, the woman suffered suffocation due to smoke inhalation and was rushed to RIMS hospital for emergency treatment.

On September 1, a fresh wave of violence erupted in the state that has been roiled by ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis that has claimed at least 230 lives.