Imphal, April 27: Three more script activists, arrested in connection with the burning down of Manipur?s oldest and largest library, have been detained under the National Security Act (NSA).

District magistrate of Imphal West, Y. Surchandra Singh, issued two separate orders in this regard today.

Earlier, the district magistrate had ordered detention of Chingsubam Akaba, president of the Meitei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup, under the same act.

Nine activists of the organisation, which has been leading the agitation in support of the local script, set on fire the state?s central library here on April 13. Books and property worth Rs 10 crore were destroyed in the fire. The community information centre attached to the library building was also damaged in the fire.

Two activists of the organisation taking part in the arson were rounded up from near the library building on the same day while another member was arrested three days later.

The three have been identified as Thongam Anand alias Anand Kumar, Leishangthem Surjit alias Ibomcha ? both residents of the Uripok locality of Imphal West ? and Leishangthem Ibochouba, a resident of Thoubal district. All three are in their twenties.

Reports said the third member was picked up from a house at Khomidok of Imphal East on April 16. On learning that he was involved in the library arson, the local residents assaulted him in front of the police.

The ground for detaining the trio under the NSA is that they took part in burning of Manipuri books written in Bengali script, and set fire to trucks and government buildings. They are likely to continue with these activities if released, an official source said.

This evening, suspected script activists torched a fully loaded truck at Khoyathong area of Imphal city.

The police said two youths, suspected to be volunteers of the Meitei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup torched the truck, which was parked in front of a transport agency. Nearly 500 script activists have been rounded up ever since the organisation launched its script campaign on February 10.

However, arrests of the members and their detention under the NSA have not been able to deter the organisation. The organisation has said it would continue the agitation till the government effected the change in script. The movement has evoked support from several other organisations, including several militant outfits.

In another development, a four-member team of railway officials, which arrived here yesterday to assess the extent of damage caused to the Imphal railway reservation counter, left Imphal this morning.

Script activists had torched the reservation counter in the wee hours on Sunday by using a petrol bomb.

The four officials from the Calcutta office of Eastern Railway will submit a report to the railway authorities in connection with the attack and also the damage. An official at the Imphal counter said the railway authorities would decide on reopening the counter after getting the report.

Before leaving Imphal, the officials had a meeting with the top brass of the state transport department. The meeting discussed security measures and reopening of the counter.