Reports of looting of arms, ammunition 'misleading', says Manipur police

Manipur police, in a press note issued on twitter, have said that reports of looting of arms and ammunition from different police stations and armouries in the valley districts only on August 5 were 'misleading'.

"There is a report vide a press release dated August 5, 2023, highlighting the looting of arms and ammunition from different police stations and armouries in the valley districts only. The information is misleading to the extent that arms and ammunition were looted from different Police Stations and armouries of both hill and valley districts," Manipur police said in its release on Saturday late night.

They added that the security forces have been continuously raiding in the hill and valley areas to recover the looted arms and ammunition. 1057 arms and 14201 ammunitions have been recovered in the valley districts and 138 arms and 121 ammunitions have been recovered in the hill districts.

"In 3rd August's incident, the security forces have been able to recover 15 arms," the police said.

"There was an attempt to snatch weapons from a police team at Toupokpi Police Outpost in Lilong Chajing, Imphal-West district yesterday. However, Police were alerted and they could chase and recover all four weapons. One person was arrested and the car used by the miscreants was also recovered," the Manipur police said further in its statement while adding that the raids are continued to arrest other culprits.

"Yesterday (August 5) evening in a gunfight between combined team of 5/9 GR & 21 SF with militants at village A. Mungchamkom under New Keithelmanbi Police Station, one individual who is cadre of non-SoO organisation was arrested and one SLR along with 01(one)magazine and 50 rounds were seized from his possession," the police added in its statement.

Clashes broke out between Metei and Kuki communities on May 3 days after the Manipur High Court asked the state government to consider adding the former, the majority community in the state, to the list of Scheduled Tribes.

The prevailing situation in Manipur triggered bedlam in both Houses of Parliament in the ongoing Monsoon Session, with the Opposition members stalling proceedings demanding a discussion and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a viral video, purportedly showing two women in the Northeastern state being stripped and paraded in the nude.

Adamant on their demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be suspended for a discussion on the Manipur situation, the Opposition members raised slogans and disrupted proceedings, resulting in repeated adjournments.

A delegation from the Opposition alliance - I.N.D.I.A - recently visited Manipur for two days, during which they met displaced locals at relief camps and called on Governor Uikey.