Imphal, May 12: Manipur police are in a dilemma over the assault of a police sub-inspector by Manipur Rifles personnel who were escorting Speaker Th. Lokeshwar Singh here late on Sunday night.

Sub-inspector Arambam Amitabh, 36, was hospitalised after he was assaulted by the personnel escorting the Speaker, when he was travelling in a car with his wife Bandana Mutum and two children.

Amitabh, in his complaint to the police, alleged that the Speaker's escorts blocked his car, pulled him out and assaulted him in front of his wife and children. The assault continued even after he identified himself as a policeman, Amitabh said.

His wife said though the Speaker's escorts were told that her husband was a policeman, the team, comprising nearly 20 men, continued to assault him.

The escorts were apparently provoked when the Speaker's convoy was not given immediate free passage.

A close aide of the Speaker said Lokeshwar was returning home to Keishampat after inaugurating a bridge at his constituency, Khundrakpam in Imphal East, when the incident took place.

Because of security concerns, Lokeshwar did not get off his vehicle and he did not realise what was really happening, the aide said.

The Speaker reportedly questioned his security personnel about what happened after he reached home that night, he added.

Amitabh was returning to his Sagolband home in Imphal West after picking up his wife and two children from a birthday party at a friend's house here. The site of the incident is nearly 300 metres from the friend's house.

"When one of the escorts shouted at me using abusive language, I asked what the hurry was. They then blocked my vehicle and assaulted me," Amitabh told this correspondent.

He is still in hospital.

Official sources said it was a sensitive case as members of state forces were involved.

The city police station confirmed having received two written complaints - one from Amitabh and the other from the Speaker's escorts.

In their complaint, the escorts accused Amitabh of assaulting their team.

"Imphal city police station is doing all that is necessary in the case. A police team spoke to the injured sub-inspector and his wife at the hospital yesterday. We have recorded everything and reported the matter to the higher police officials for action. We cannot deal with it as a normal police case," a source in the city police said.

Senior police officials said an internal inquiry was on.

Officials, however, have hinted that senior police officials were actively working on an amicable settlement to the case.

It appears that the senior police officials do not want to "provoke" either the sub-inspector or the security escorts of the Speaker.

The incident evoked widespread condemnation from the public.

Neighbours and relatives of the sub-inspector staged a sit-in and blocked the Imphal-Jiribam highway at Tera Bazar on the outskirts of Imphal to condemn the behaviour of the Speaker's escorts and to demand action against them.

Their anger was also directed towards the Speaker for not intervening in the incident.

Those blocking the road, mostly women, held placards demanding the Speaker's resignation, terming the assault an attempt on the life of the sub-inspector and his family.

The agitators argued with the police team that arrived at the scene to clear the roadblock, which continued despite assurances that all steps would be taken in the case.