Imphal, May 13: Forty-eight hours after the Manipur Speaker's security team assaulted a police officer, the state government today suspended the commander of the escort team.

An official source said the commander, havildar M. Shanta, belonging to 8 Manipur Rifles, was placed under suspension. An order to this effect was issued late last night.

The suspension came after Imphal city police station registered a case yesterday afternoon on the basis of a complaint lodged by sub-inspector Arambam Amitabh in the wee hours of Monday.

"With the registration of a case and the suspension of the escort commander, we have started investigation," a senior police officer said today. The escort team lodged a similar complaint to city police alleging that Amitabh hit three escort personnel.

Manipur Rifles personnel escorting Speaker Th. Lokeshwar Singh from his constituency in Imphal East to his residence in Imphal city allegedly assaulted Amitabh over a traffic row near the western gate of Kangla fort late on Sunday night.

The sub-inspector, who was in civil clothes, was returning to his home in Imphal West along with his wife and two children in a car from a birthday party at a friend's place in Imphal when the incident took place.

Amitabh and his wife Bandana Mutum said the escort team assaulted him in front of their two children. Amitabh, who sustained injuries all over his body, is still undergoing treatment at the private Shija Hospitals and Research Institute here.

Bandana said the children were traumatised after witnessing the assault on their father.

The government action against the escort commander came after strong public criticism over the incident and a demand by residents of Tera in Imphal West, the locality where Amitabh lives, for resignation of the Speaker on moral grounds.

Residents of Tera blocked the Imphal-Jiribam highway at Tera Bazar, 2km west of the city yesterday demanding resignation of the Speaker and punishment of the personnel involved in the assault.

In a related development, the suspended havildar has blamed Amitabh for the assault.

He clarified that Amitabh did not give way for the Speaker's convoy despite blowing of horns and the siren and he also shouted at the escort team.

Amitabh first hit the driver of one of the Speaker's escort vehicles when the driver walked to his car to inquire why he was not giving way for the convoy, Shanta said.

Shanta alleged that Amitabh also hit three escort personnel when they tried to intervene.

Assembly secretary K. Meghajit Singh has conducted an inquiry into the incident and said he found the Speaker was not present when the assault took place.

Quoting the Speaker's driver Th. Sanathoi, 32, Meghajit said to ensure the safety of the Speaker, Sanathoi drove the vehicle carrying the Speaker from the scene to his home followed by one of the four escort vehicles.

Meghajit clarified that he conducted the inquiry since Sanathoi is employed by the Assembly and assigned to the Speaker. The secretary said the law would take its own course in the case.