NEW DELHI: Fresh violence erupted in Manipur after a public bus was attacked by a mob in Kangpokpi on the first day of “free movement” in the state since the violence began in 2023, which killed over 250 people.
As the inter-district bus service resumed, a mob in the Gamgiphai area attacked a Senapati district-bound passenger bus by pelting it with stones, officials said. In response, security forces deployed tear gas and used batons to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to some demonstrators.
Further, officials said that nearly 114 weapons were recovered and seven member from the banned outfits in the state were arrested as an effort to bring back normalcy.
The ‘free movement’ comes as a directive from the Union home minister Amit Shah, who had recently instructed security forces to guarantee unrestricted movement across all routes in the ethnic-strife torn state starting March 8, while also mandating strict action against those causing disruptions.
Around 10 am, buses bound for the hill districts of Churachandpur and Senapati departed from Imphal airport without passengers, escorted by a large convoy of central forces, including army personnel, officials said. The Churachandpur-bound bus traveled through Bishnupur district without incident, reaching Kangvai safely. Meanwhile, the Senapati-bound bus, taking the Kangpokpi route, encountered no obstructions or blockades up to Kanglatongbi in Imphal West district.
7 members of banned outfits in Manipur held
Police arrested seven members of four banned outfits in separate operations, officials informed. This comes a day after two cadres of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (PWG) were apprehended in Lamphel, Imphal West district, while another member of the same outfit was caught near the gate of Bir Tikendrajit international airport, a senior officer reported.
The arrested individuals were identified as Moirangthem Jiban Singh (27), Laishram Tiken Singh (40), and Thoudam Premkumar Singh (38). Authorities also recovered Rs 50,000 from those held in Lamphel.
“These members of the militant group have been identified as Keisham Naocha alias Ningsingba (38) and Ningthoujam Sanjoy (18) and handed over to the local police for necessary legal actions,” an officer said.
Additionally, on Thursday, security forces arrested two members of the banned Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup (KYKL) near the Lokchao River along the India-Myanmar border in Tengnoupal district.
114 weapons recovered by security forces across state
Nearly 114 weapons, IEDs, grenades and ammunitions were seized by the security forces in the state following the end of a two-week deadline for the voluntary surrender of looted and illegal weapons, an official statement said on Saturday.
These operations were conducted in both hill and valley districts—including Bishnupur, Senapati, Thoubal, Jiribam, Chandel, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Imphal East, and Imphal West.
The administration had assured the public that no punitive action would be taken against those who surrendered their weapons within the given timeframe. It said that this was the final opportunity for all stakeholders to support peace, communal harmony, the future of the youth, and the overall security of society.
