TMB Report
Imphal: Officials and staff of the Manipur Information Commission (MIC) expressed their heartfelt grief and deep sorrow on the sudden and untimely demise of State Information Commissioner and former Inspector General of Police Dr Soibam lbocha Singh who died on Sunday.
A press release issued by MIC Deputy Secretary G. Shantikumar Kabui said that Dr. lbocha who passed away on Sunday afternoon after a long battle with the Covid-19 was first admitted to Shija Hospital and later shifted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) after his condition deteriorated.
In a condolence programme held at the MIC’s office premises in Secretariat
North Block, State Chief Information Commissioner in-charge Oinam Sunil Singh termed Dr lbocha as a “great human being who always gave a helping hand to his colleagues, saying that the State and the MIC have lost a good leader.
He said that Dr lbocha was very close to him ever since the latter was serving as the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West and while he was a journalist. “We had shared a close bond. After coming back to Imphal after 16 years, we were together again at the MIC. He was very knowledgeable and I always seek his advice on Commission’s matters. The void left by his departure will be hard to fill,” said Sunil.
Saying that the officials and staff of MIC still could not believe that Dr Ibocha has left them, he informed that besides being the SIC, Dr lbocha was also the State’s interlocutor in the peace talks with Kuki rebel groups/ SoO groups.
Staff of Manipur Information Commission and officials of Administrative Reforms Department paid floral tribute to the departed soul. Former State Chief Information Commissioner Th. lbobi Singh also attended the programme. A two minute silence was also observed in respect of the departed soul.
Dr Ibocha was born in 1958 and a resident of Soibam Leikai, Imphal East. He was sworn in as the State Information Commissioner by Governor Dr. Najma Haptullah on October 22, 2018. He was a lecturer in Maharaja Budhachandra College from 1979 to 1983. He joined the Manipur Police Services (MPS) in 1983 and retired as IGP in 2018. During his career in the Police department, he had served as Superintendent of Police of Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Churachandpur and Senapati districts
He got his Ph.D in community policing. Dr Soibam Ibocha is also a recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service. He also received the Sahitya Akademi translation prize, State Literature Award, State Kala Akademi award, Sharda Translation Award and Akojam Chaoton and RK Muktasana Literature Award. He was also the President of Rugby Football, Manipur, and senior Vice-President of Amateur Rugby Federation of India.
