As an important turn of events in the continuing ethnic conflict of Manipur, five Meiteis of the Arambai Tenggol team have been apprehended because they are suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of a civilian and the beating of two police officers. The arrests form part of a broader sweep in the violence-torn state, which has shaken the state officials familiar with the matter.
These include Huidrom Somokanta Singh, Huidrom Dipak Singh, and Thingujam Ranjit Singh, who have been arrested and presented before a magistrate and the latter remanded in police custody over a period of seven days. According to authorities, they are doing whatever they can to locate and arrest other offenders implicated in the acts.
Last month, two other Arambai Tenggol members had been arrested over a mob attack on June 9, which had led to injuries to Additional Superintendent of Police Wangkhomba Okramcha. Unrest in the region has also been sustained by the succession of arrests that have been carried out, including the recent arrest of former police officer Kanan Singh. Earlier this year, Singh was thrown out of the police force on suspicion that he was involved in the smuggling of arms and the looting of armouries.
The arrests provoked a lot of protest in the Imphal valley. Irritated protesters used arson and threw stones at security forces. Arambai Tenggol led revivalists to a 10-day closure, which was later cancelled after 4 days of demanding the release of the arrested persons.
Due to the unrest, the government reintroduced a curfew in the Bishnupur district for the first time this year. The internet services have been deactivated in Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, and Bishnupur to overcome the possibility of abuse of social media by elements of anti-social habits.
The ethnic conflict between the Meitei community and the Kuki communities that has occurred since May 2023 has resulted in the killing of over 250 people and the displacement of thousands of people. It was confirmed by authorities that a number of militants belonging to banned outfits were also apprehended and the number is likely to go up in the next few days.
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