Manipur to hand over security of check posts from AR to police

The Manipur government on Saturday decided to hand over the security of all check posts in the state that are being manned by the Assam Rifles to the police.

Education Minister Th Radheshyam told reporters that the decision was taken by the state Cabinet on Friday after an IPS officer alleged she was assaulted and molested by an AR jawan at Khudengthabi check post in Tengnoupal district.

He said CRPF personnel may also be deployed if additional forces were required to man the check posts.

"After considering the plus and minus points, we have agreed that minus points (of AR deployment at check posts) outweigh the plus ones," the minister said.

Radheshyam said the state government will seek the Union Home Ministry's approval in this regard.

He, however, did not mention the number of check posts in the state that are being manned by the Assam Rifles personnel.

Based on the woman IPS officer's complaint, police had registered an FIR against AR jawan P K Pandey for allegedly physically assaulting and molesting her at Khudengthabi check post while she was returning from the India-Myanmar border on January 19.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said that the state government will take legal actions over the issue.

The state women commission had also issued summons to the rifleman to appear before it on or before January 27 and forwarded the officer's complaint to the National Commission for Women.

The Assam Rifles, on the other hand, had termed the officer's allegations as "baseless, fabricated and malicious" and accused her of illegally entering Myanmar and purchasing unidentified goods there.

"It is unimaginable that a jawan tried to molest or physically assault an IPS officer. In fact, it is the other way round wherein she was shouting on a jawan...It is a sheer case of misuse of official position, power and arrogance shown by the officer," the AR had said in a statement.

The incident had triggered widespread condemnation and protests by IPS Association, Manipur chapter, state and central officers and policemen.