Manipur: Curfew relaxed in 5 districts, 140 weapons surrendered
The government has reportedly called off curfew in five districts of Manipur, while restrictions have been eased for a few hours in other areas of the state marred by month-long unrest. However, internet services remain suspended across the state until Monday. Around 140 weapons looted from security personnel have been surrendered in different areas following Union Home Minister Amit Shah's appeal, per ANI.
Why does this story matter?
- Ethnic violence engulfed the state for nearly a month over the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status before relative calm was restored.
- Mobs reportedly looted around 2,000-2,400 weapons from state forces, while some groups accused security personnel from a specific community of handing over arms to their people.
- Shah visited Manipur earlier this week to take stock of the situation.
Hundreds of weapons still missing
Most weapons surrendered are service-pattern: Police
The surrendered weapons include AK-47s, carbines, INSAS rifles and light machine guns (LMG), M16 rifles, teargas and stun guns, a grenade launcher, and locally-manufactured pistols. All these weapons are service-pattern arms and are prohibited for civilians, the police said. The Indian Army and the Assam Rifles earlier launched massive combing operations, while Shah called on the people to surrender arms or face stern action.
22 miscreants held earlier while trying to torch houses
Earlier this week, Army personnel arrested 22 armed miscreants in East Imphal based on intelligence inputs during a combing operation. The miscreants were reportedly trying to set houses on fire, and during a confrontation, they fired indiscriminately at the troops. The personnel chased and caught the accused and seized five 12-bore double-barrel rifles, three single-barrel rifles, a muzzle-loaded weapon, and a country-made weapon.
Army's Dimapur-based III Corps condemned social media leaks on officers
Meanwhile, the Centre appointed Rajiv Singh, a Tripura-cadre IPS officer and a non-native, as the state's new Director General of Police (DGP) on Thursday, replacing IPS officer P Doungel, a Kuki. After the news became public, several social media accounts circulated a list of Meitei officers and sought their transfer to ensure the safety of the Kukis.
