Imphal, July 2: The Ibobi Singh government is facing yet another acid test, with residents of a village in Manipur’s Imphal West district threatening to launch an agitation.

The villagers are furious over the alleged assault of three teenaged girls by soldiers during a search operation in their village last week.

Troops of the 22 Maratha Light Infantry launched an operation and picked up two men accused of being activists of the Peoples United Liberation Front (PULF) from Phoubakchao and Sekmaijin on the night of June 27.

One of the arrested persons was identified as 40-year-old Munawar Ali alias Ibocha alias Manao. Villagers alleged that three of his nieces were assaulted by the troops with rifle butts when they demanded an arrest memo.

The sisters, Reshma, 17, Samina, 16, and Sonia, 15, were admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here. The two older sisters were discharged after first aid but Sonia was found to have sustained a fracture in her left leg. She is still in hospital.

Assam Rifles spokesman Col L.M. Pant said the two persons who were apprehended were militants. A 9mm pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from them, he added.

“The women of the area refused to accept the arrest memo. They not only tried to obstruct the personnel from carrying out their duties, they even tried to assault the army personnel with sticks and iron rods. The troops escaped the irate women with great difficulty. The arrested persons were handed over to Mayang Imphal police station with the arrest memos,” the spokesman said.

He also dismissed the charges of assault on the girls as “baseless”.

Refuting the army claim, residents of Phoubakchao have floated a pressure group under the banner of a joint action committee (JAC). They have given chief minister Ibobi Singh time till Thursday to fulfil their demands.

The JAC wants the state government to mete out punishment to the personnel involved in the assault, shift the army post from the locality, meet the medical expenses of the girls, release the arrested persons unconditionally and lift the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

“If the government fails to meet the demands by Thursday, we shall launch a series of agitations from Wednesday. We will hold a torch-lit rally at Mayang Imphal on Wednesday night. If no response is forthcoming, we will intensify the agitation from Friday,” said Sapamcha Kangleipal, a leader of the JAC.