Manipuri man assaulted in Bengaluru allegedly by staff of restaurant he worked in

A 32-year-old Manipuri man was allegedly assaulted brutally by the management staff of Hotel Empire, Jayanagar, Bengaluru. 

S Paukhanmung, an employee of the hotel, was smoking on the terrace of the restaurant on the night of August 27. The operations manager of the hotel, Loknath, who spotted him smoking, asked him to pay a fine of Rs 100. 

The assault took place when Paukhanmung was on his way to his room which was provided by the restaurant.  

“Paukhanmung was ready to go back to his accommodation when the hotel operations manager slapped him. Another waiter joined the manager in beating him up, after which they sent him back to his room,” said Yambem Arun Meetei, General Secretary of the Manipuri Meitei Association Bangalore (MMAB) and a member of the Manipuri diaspora. 

According to the police complaint filed at the Jayanagar Police station, due to that day’s beating, he was unable to attend work the next day, and when he went to the hotel to have his dinner, he was beaten again by 10-15 men led by operations manager Loknath and branch manager Sameer. 

“It was so bad that the boy’s leg was broken and yet the hotel management did not give him medical attention nor informed any of his guardians,” reads the complaint. 

The complaint also states that the hotel staff threatened the other Manipuri boys working in the hotel from informing anyone about what had happened.

“The hotel staff had confiscated Paukhanmung’s phone and refused to let him call anyone. Some of the boys from our community somehow got away and informed us about what happened,” said Arun.

Arun and his companions then went to see the injured man in the hotel at 3:00am on August 29 but says they were not able to meet him as hotel staff did not give them clear information about Paukhanmung’s whereabouts. 

“Only when the police patrol came we were able to complain. They tried to implicate him in a false case of manhandling a woman. The sub-inspector was not very cooperative at first. Then we spoke to the DCP and filed a written complaint in the Jayanagar police station,” said Arun.

“We are concerned about the victim. Even if there was some misunderstanding, they should have taken him to the hospital. They took him to the hospital only after we intervened. He has been admitted to Hosmat hospital,” Arun added. 

SD Sharanappa, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Division, Bengaluru, said, “A written complaint has been made in this case to the Jayanagar police station. We have made three arrests already in the case. Two of the accused are from Orissa and one of the accused is from Kerala”.

The complainants have alleged racial discrimination, and have filed a complaint of attempt to murder, indiscriminate beating and torturing. 

“We want authorities to bring out the truth and act accordingly,” said Arun. 

Several incidences of violence against members of the north-eastern community have emerged in Bangalore over the years. 

In January, a waiter from Arunachal Pradesh who was working at a Bangalore pub was found bruised and in a semi-conscious state, minutes after he had left his workplace. 

In May this year, a student from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly attacked by his landlord, who reportedly made him lick his shoe following a dispute over water.