Six KCP cadres, two others held for extortion in Manipur
Imphal, Feb 23: Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s had urged the communities to surrender looted arms and weapons looted during the ethnic clashes. In response to his request people from various communities on Saturday started surrendering looted weapons to police. Bhalla had set a deadline of seven days for surrendering arms and weapons.
On Saturday, members of the Kuki-Zo tribes deposited firearms to the Assam Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Churachandpur district.
The firearms include M16, AK series, INSAS, self-loading rifle, and mortar rounds, among others.
Members from the Meitei community also came forward and deposited firearms to the police in Imphal valley.
In Kakching district, the police received few weapons including 303 rifles, bulletproof vests, and ammunition.
In Kangpokpi district’s Saparmeina, people deposited firearms and ammunition including AK series and INSAS assault rifles to the officer in charge of the local police station.
An estimated 6,000 firearms were looted from police stations and armouries across Manipur after ethnic clashes that broke out on May 3, 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur.
Six KCP cadres, two others held for extortion
Six cadres of a banned outfit were arrested from Manipur’s Imphal West district, and two members of a group were apprehended for allegedly being involved in extortion in Imphal East, police said on Saturday.
Six members of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (Ibungo Ngangom) were apprehended from Koutruk Makha Leikai Church in Imphal West on Friday, a senior officer said.
The police also arrested two members of G5 Organisation from Achanbigei Maning Leikai in Imphal East district for allegedly being involved in extortion from sand-laden trucks in Sekmai, Irilbung, Koirengei and Patsoi areas.
They were also allegedly involved in incidents of snatching keys from truck drivers in Sekmai area.
They have been identified as Ningthoujam Yamba Singh (43) and Usham Netaji Singh (35), the officer added.
Arms and ammunition were also surrendered in Churachandpur district on Saturday after joint efforts in public awareness by the local police, Assam Rifles and CRPF, another officer said.
“This is the first step towards de-weaponising the society and creating a safe and secure atmosphere where regular activities can be boosted,” Churachandpur SP Prakhar Pandey said in a statement.
The Manipur Police also said at least two firearms and ammunition were handed over to the administrations in Kakching and Kangpokpi districts.
The surrender of arms and ammunition comes after Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla appealed to the people to surrender illegal arms and ammunition.
Security forces also recovered at least 12 firearms from Kakching Wairi area and handed them over to the Kakching Police Station, another officer said.
During an operation in Maojang village under the Moreh Police Station limits in Tengnoupal district, Security forces recovered two improvised explosive devices weighing 22 kg with detonators, one 7-kg IED, one bomb of 6 kg with detonators and one bomb of 4 kg.
“The IEDs, suspected to be unstable, had to be destroyed at the spot by a bomb disposal team,” police said, adding that an FIR has been registered in this connection.
The Manipur Police along with central forces have been conducting search operations after ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023.
More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May two years ago.(PTI)
