Manipur: Curfew Restrictions Back in Imphal Districts as Mobs Try to Storm Police Stations
New Delhi: Authorities reinstated curfew restrictions in Imphal East and Imphal West districts at 5 pm on Thursday, after another attempt by a violent mob to storm a police station demanding the release of five men who were arrested for impersonating policemen.
Before this, a curfew relaxation was in place between 5 am and 9 pm.
The police have said that the five men were carrying sophisticated weapons looted from police armouries and wearing camouflage. The five men have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Meira Paibis, an influential group of Meitei women who have been acting as vigilantes during the ongoing conflict, had earlier called for a complete 48-hour bandh to protest the arrests. Even on the day of the arrest, a mob had tried to storm the police station where they were being held. Meitei groups have claimed that the five men are "volunteers". “Arrest us if you are going to arrest all those village defence volunteers," the mob reportedly chanted on Thursday.
On Thursday, vigilante groups led by women targeted various police stations. According to The Indian Express, "The situation got particularly heated at Singjamei police station in Imphal West where the officer in-charge’s residence was also vandalised."
More than 10 people were injured when Manipur security forces and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells on protesters to disperse the crowds trying to storm police stations, Livemint reported.
According to Hindustan Times, one of the arrested men has been identified as a 45-year-old former cadre of banned insurgent outfit People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur. The newspaper reported that Moirangthem Anand Singh, who is also a member of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Noyon), a banned militant outfit, has been detained under the National Security Act in the past.
The other four arrested are Keisham Johnson (35), Konthoujam Romojit Meitei (28), Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha (30) and Athokpam Kajit (39).
The police has said that they cannot release the men, given the weapons they were found with and the charges against them.
Manipur has been witnessing severe ethnic violence since May 3, with about 200 people having lost their lives. Looting of weapons from police armouries has been a common occurrence during the violence.
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