2 Killed, 25 Injured In Protest Over Manipur “Selfie” Cop’s Sacking

Imphal:

At the least two died and 25 others had been injured in a conflict with the safety forces after tons of of individuals got here out in Manipur’s Kuki-Zo tribes-dominated Churachandpur district right this moment to protest towards the suspension of a head constable after a selfie of him with “armed miscreants” went viral.

The police mentioned there’s pressure within the district. Protesters had been seen surrounding the workplace of the Superintendent of Police, demanding the reinstatement of the top constable, Siamlalpaul, who took the selfie in a bunker of “armed miscreants” and “village defence volunteers” atop a hill.

The protesters set a bus and different buildings exterior the district police chief’s workplace on hearth. Safety forces opened hearth because the offended mob turned violent. 

Cellular web has been suspended within the district in view of the violence.

“A departmental inquiry is being contemplated towards Siamlalpaul of Churachandpur district police, as a clip has gone viral on social media exhibiting him making a video with armed males on February 14,” the suspension order by the Churachandpur Superintendent of Police Shivanand Surve mentioned.

Manipur has been seeing gunfights between rival armed teams – who name themselves “village defence volunteers” – amid the ethnic tensions between the hill-majority Kuki-Zo tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis.

The police posted on the microblogging platform X that the Fast Motion Pressure (RAF) has fired tear fuel shells to disperse the protesters in Churachandpur, 65 km from the state capital Imphal. A number of protesters had been injured.

“A mob numbering roughly 300-400 tried to storm the workplace of SP (Superintendent of Police) CCP (Churachandpur) right this moment, pelting stones, and so forth. The SF (safety forces)together with RAF are responding appropriately by firing tear fuel shells to manage the scenario. Issues are underneath watch,” the Manipur Police mentioned within the publish on X.

Mob numbering approx 300-400 tried to storm the workplace of SP CCP right this moment, pelting stone, and so forth. The SF together with RAF is responding appropriately by firing tear fuel shell to manage the scenario. Issues are being underneath watch.

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) February 15, 2024

The protesters alleged the top constable has been suspended unfairly, and must be reinstated. Churachandpur, a district dominated by the Kuki-Zo tribes, was one of many areas most affected by the ethnic clashes that started in Could 2023.

The Kuki-Zo tribes have repeatedly alleged the involvement of the state police in attacking their villages. The police have refuted these allegations at each flip, and as a substitute pointed on the alleged involvement of Kuki-Zo insurgents in bolstering “village defence volunteers”.

The Kuki-Zo civil society group Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Discussion board (ITLF) in a press release late on Thursday mentioned the Churachandpur police chief is “solely accountable for tonight’s incident within the district…”

The ITLF alleged movies have been doing the rounds on social media previously few months exhibiting Manipur Police personnel preventing alongside armed teams and attacking Kuki-Zo areas. “However no motion has been taken towards them,” the ITLF mentioned.

Civil Society Group Ex-Chief Seeks FIR Towards Manipur Police Officer

The previous chief of a civil society group has written to the Manipur Police to file a case towards a senior officer for allegedly threatening to kill him.

H Thangtinlen Daniel Mate, the previous chief of the Tengnoupal unit Kuki College students Organisation (KSO), within the letter alleged that the Senior Superintendent of Police (Fight) Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam (retired) dialled him at evening and threatened to kill him.

“I obtained a name from Mr Nectar’s telephone quantity… and since it was late at evening I didn’t obtain the decision. Then after a couple of minutes I obtained a life-threatening textual content message… The textual content mentioned that he is aware of me and that he was going to kill me,” Mr Mate mentioned within the letter to the officer answerable for Tengnoupal police station on Thursday.

“… I’ve not executed something towards this individual or any individual to deserve such a life-threatening warning,” he mentioned.

No FIR has been filed but.

Colonel Nectar had performed a key position in India’s surgical strikes in Myanmar in 2015. The Manipur authorities appointed him Senior Superintendent of Police (Fight) in August 2023 for a five-year tenure. The retired military officer has served within the 21 Para (Particular Forces). He was awarded the Kirti Chakra – the second-highest peacetime gallantry award — and Shaurya Chakra, the third highest.

The ethnic violence in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meiteis over disagreements on land, assets, political illustration, and affirmative motion insurance policies has dragged on for 9 months now. Over 180 have died and 50,000 have been internally displaced.