IMPHAL, India: At least 10 persons were injured in clashes between police and mobs in various areas of Manipur’s Imphal on Thursday, PTI reported.
A total curfew has been imposed in Imphal East and Imphal West districts as a precautionary measure by the authorities. Earlier, the curfew was relaxed from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to allow shopping for essentials including medicine and food.
Tensions were rising in Imphal over the arrest of five armed miscreants on September 16 for carrying firearms and wearing camouflage uniforms. The five people who were detained were Keisham Johnson, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei, Athokpam Kajit, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha, and Moirangthem Anand Singh.
The arrest led to widespread protests and demonstrations in the valley areas. On Tuesday, a 48-hour band called Meira Paibis, a community of Meitei women. They said the five guys were volunteers from the village and demanded their release.
On Thursday, several protesters holding placards and shouting slogans tried to enter Porompat police station in Imphal East and Singjamei police station and Kwakeithel police station in Imphal West district. They demanded that the police either release the five men unconditionally or arrest them as well.
“We have no choice but to arrest the court because the government has not released the five village volunteers. a protester, identified as Th Bimola in Porompat, told PTI. “If such village volunteers are arrested, who will protect the Meitei villages…”
According to PTI, the protesters were stopped by security forces who used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
A mob of 20-25 also vandalized and partially burnt the house of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ingouchy Singh, who is in-charge of Imphal police station in Imphal West district, around 3.30 pm, a police officer told Scroll.
Over 200 people have been killed since the Meiteis-Kuki conflict broke out in Manipur on May 3. Almost 60,000 people were forced to leave their homes. The state reported cases of rape and murder, and mobs ransacked police armouries and set fire to several houses despite a heavy presence of central security forces.
