Four light vehicles were broken, mostly the front windshield, the police said

An umbrella body of civil society groups of Manipur’s Meitei community has condemned the kidnapping for ransom and murder of a man in the violence-hit state.

The Meitei Alliance, an apex body of civil society groups of the valley-dominant community, in a statement said it is “crucial to keep legal issues free from communal divisions, as unity and justice are of paramount importance.”

The Manipur Police said six suspected members of the ‘Arambai Tenggol’ (AT) have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and killing Md Nawash, 33, on January 14. The body was found two days later, the police said.

Nawash was kidnapped from his house in Imphal East district’s Kairang Mayai Leikai neighbourhood, the police said, adding he was brought dead at Thoubal district hospital on January 16.

The six suspected members of the ‘Arambai Tenggol’ have been identified as Sagolsem Chingkheinganba Singh, 25; Chingakham Sanatomba Singh, 19; Sapam Somorjit Singh, 32; Maibam Bokenjit Singh, 24; Athokpam Jiban Singh, 30, and Chingakham Mani Singh, 41.

The Meitei Alliance thanked the police for their swift response in arresting the six suspects.

“We strongly call for a thorough investigation and prompt prosecution to ensure accountability. The Meitei Alliance also acknowledges and honours the significant contributions of the Meitei Pangal [Muslim] community to the state’s rich history, particularly the role they played in protecting Manipur,” the Meitei Alliance said.

“The Meitei Alliance stands united with the people of Manipur in condemning all forms of violence and urges everyone to respect the rule of law, refraining from taking matters into their own hands or making communal comments, especially on social media,” it said.

In connection with an incident of abduction of one Md. Nawash, 33 years, S/o Md. Leharuddin of Keirang Mayai Leikai PS – Heingang from his house on 14.01.2025 for ransom by suspected members of AT, who was later brought dead today at Thoubal District hospital, Manipur Police has…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) January 16, 2025

Police records show several AT members have been arrested and some have been summoned by local courts in the last few months. On December 3, three AT members who were planning to extort money from the public and government officials were arrested in the state capital Imphal.

The Arambai Tenggol maintains it started out as a youth group, but took up arms after ethnic clashes with the Kuki tribes began in May 2023. Locally known as AT, it faces charges of looting weapons from police armouries, acts which it says were necessary to protect the Meitei community from heavily armed Kuki militants and due to ineffective action by the security forces in the early days of the ethnic clashes.

Several military and paramilitary leaders have said armed groups from both sides – many of them call themselves “volunteers” – are involved in the Manipur violence.

There are hundreds of videos from the Manipur conflict where Kuki and Meitei ‘volunteers’ are seen brandishing assault rifles, sniper guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, etc.

Guwahati/New Delhi:

Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Assam’s Dergaon saw a momentous occasion on Monday when nearly 2,000 recruits of the Manipur Police participated in their passing out ceremony, ready to serve their state amid the ongoing challenges.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who attended the passing out ceremony, said very old ties between Assam and Manipur are seeing a new bonding.

“As the situation is not good in Manipur, IRB (India Reserve Battalion) training wasn’t possible there. When I asked Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, he immediately agreed to facilitate training in Assam. I am extremely grateful to him, his colleagues in the government and the Assam DGP,” Mr Singh said.

“Today, I attended their passing out parade, and it is such a good feeling. The situation in Manipur is complex; it will take time to heal, but gradually it’s getting better,” the Chief Minister said.

Assam and Manipur Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya also attended the passing out ceremony at the police academy known for its rigorous and comprehensive training programmes.

This batch of recruits was drawn from nine IRBs and six Manipur Rifles battalions, reflecting the state’s diverse communities – Meiteis (62 per cent), Kukis (12 per cent), Nagas (26 per cent), and other tribes.

Mr Singh said the recruits will be posted together as a “team” in an attempt to bring back peace in the ethnic violence-hit state.

“Community-wise division took place due to the present situation. It was not like this earlier, and I will not allow this to happen in future,” Mr Singh told reporters after the ceremony, adding the newly trained personnel will have to do everything together in the manner in which they were trained.

“We have to start working together to bring peace to the state. Their postings will be together. We will not break the team. We will try to restore the unity of earlier Manipur,” Mr Singh said.

Impressive display of skill and discipline by our recruits during the Unarmed Combat demonstration!

I appreciate the true spirit of courage and preparedness of the new recruits. Keep up the exceptional efforts as you continue to serve and protect with honor. My best wishes to… pic.twitter.com/KJM2voLvhG

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) December 23, 2024

Their training covered a comprehensive curriculum – physical fitness, unarmed combat, disaster management, law and policing, crowd control, and tactical operations.

“The recruits arrived with significant challenges. At least 50 per cent were overweight, including 5 per cent classified as obese, and 31 per cent fell into the 30-40 age group, presenting unique physical demands,” an official of the top police academy said.

By the end of the programme, only 5 per cent remained overweight due to chronic medical conditions, a testament to the academy’s rigorous training regimen, the official said.

Guwahati:

Nearly 2,000 recruits from Manipur have finished intensive training at a top Assam police academy, and will return to serve their home state amid the ongoing challenges, officials have said.

Assam and Manipur Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh attended the passing out ceremony at Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Assam’s Dergaon.

The recruits went through a tough training programme that began in January this year and lasted over 44 weeks.

The academy is known for its rigorous and comprehensive police training programmes.

The training was initially planned for 44 weeks, but it was stretched longer due to a two-week mid-term break in June 2024, after which several recruits returned late.

Despite this, the academy successfully trained 1,946 recruits, with only a few unable to complete the programme due to medical or personal reasons.

Two recruits died during the training period.

This batch of recruits was drawn from nine India Reserve Battalions (IRB) and six Manipur Rifles battalions, reflecting the state’s diverse communities, officials said.

Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Assam’s Dergaon is known for its rigorous and comprehensive police training programmes

The composition of the recruits from the multi-ethnic state included Meiteis (62 per cent), Kukis (12 per cent), Nagas (26 per cent), and other tribes, officials said.

Their training covered a comprehensive curriculum – physical fitness, unarmed combat, disaster management, law and policing, crowd control, and tactical operations.

“The recruits arrived with significant challenges. At least 50 per cent were overweight, including 5 per cent classified as obese, and 31 per cent fell into the 30-40 age group, presenting unique physical demands,” an official of the top police academy said.

By the end of the programme, only 5 per cent remained overweight due to chronic medical conditions, a testament to the academy’s rigorous training regimen, the official said.

Given Manipur’s fragile law and order situation, special emphasis was placed on endurance training, long-distance speed marches, firing proficiency, and advanced unarmed combat techniques to prepare the recruits for high-risk deployments, officials said.

LBPA, known for its stellar training track record over the past two years, has trained nearly 7,000 recruits, equipping them with the skills needed to face complex security challenges, officials said.

New Delhi:

In a first, a Starlink dish and router have been seized allegedly from a Meitei insurgent group in Manipur, raising concerns over the use of the internet by insurgents to coordinate attacks and communicate tactical information even during times of internet blackout, sources have said.

Finding a Starlink device in India in the hands of insurgents, however, does not mean it is usable in India, sources said.

Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet anywhere in the world where the service is licenced to operate.

Starlink is not available in India, though the American company has applied for regulatory clearance.

Elon Musk in a post on X said Starlink doesn’t operate in India. “This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India,” he said.

This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024

A joint team of the security forces found the Starlink dish and router along with an MA4 assault rifle, grenades and bullets from Imphal East district’s Khunou on December 13.

The police called the device “internet satellite antenna and internet satellite router”.

Search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During the search operations, the following items were recovered:
i. 01 (one) no. of MA4 Assault Rifle, 01 (one) no. of 12 Bore Single Barrel… pic.twitter.com/Ls4lwx9Opu

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) December 13, 2024

The Indian Army’s Spear Corps in a post on X also posted visuals of a joint operation that the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police carried out in the hill and valley regions of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East, and Kangpokpi.

One of the visuals shows a white, rectangular dish and a router with the Starlink logo on it. The acronyms “RPF/PLA” are visible on the router in this photo.

This photo taken from a closer angle is of the same Starlink device that the security forces found on December 13, sources told NDTV, adding the security forces handed over the device to the police. 

“Acting on specific intelligence, troops of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles formations under Spear Corps carried out joint search operations in the hill and valley regions in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kangpokpi in Manipur, in close coordination with Manipur Police and other security forces and recovered 29 weapons comprising of snipers, automatic weapons, rifles, pistols, country made mortars, single barrel rifles, grenades, ammunition and war like stores,” the Spear Corps said in a post on X.

Acting on specific intelligence, troops of #IndianArmy and #AssamRifles formations under #SpearCorps carried out joint search operations in the hill and valley regions in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kagpokpi in #Manipur, in close coordination with… pic.twitter.com/kxy7ec5YAE

— SpearCorps.IndianArmy (@Spearcorps) December 16, 2024

The Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) is the political arm of the Meitei insurgent group People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is one of the eight Meitei secessionist groups listed as banned organisations by the Union Home Ministry.

Starlink had launched the 12 by 19-inch rectangular dish in November 2021, in addition to its existing circular dish. The dimensions of the device with the Starlink logo in the visuals released by the security forces seem to match. The new generation dish is 20 by 12-inch.

Starlink has no licence to operate in neighbouring Myanmar, too.

However, the Myanmar Internet Project – a collective run since 2022 by researchers to track developments in the Myanmar digital space – has estimated some 3,000 Starlink connections across the country, used by both ethnic insurgents fighting the junta and the common people living in remote areas.

The Meitei insurgent group PLA has been operating in areas in Myanmar which are near the border with India.

The police declined to give more specific details about the “internet satellite antenna and internet satellite router”. Sources said investigation is at an early stage.

New Delhi:

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expressed grief over the killing of two migrant workers from the state in Manipur’s Kakching district, and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for family members of the deceased.

His Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh also condemned the “brutal killing of young brothers, Sunalal Kumar (18) and Dasharat Kumar (17), from Bihar”. Biren Singh said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to each bereaved family.

The two were construction workers and lived in a rented accommodation in Kakching.

“The CM (Nitish Kumar) has expressed deep sorrow over the killing of two migrant workers from the state in Manipur’s Kakching district. Heartfelt condolences to their family,” a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

“He has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the immediate family members of the deceased… (he) also directed officials of the state’s social welfare and labour departments to ensure that the family members get other benefits, too, as per existing provisions,” it said.

The Manipur Chief Minister said, “This act of terrorism is a direct assault on our values, and my deepest condolences go out to their grieving families.”

“In this crucial juncture, we cannot ignore the possibility that this horrific crime is part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize our state and push it further towards chaos. We must stand together against these destructive forces and ensure that they do not succeed in creating fear and insecurity,” Biren Singh said.

I strongly condemn the brutal killing of young brothers, Sunalal Kumar (18) and Dasharat Kumar (17), from Bihar in Kakching district, Manipur. This act of terrorism is a direct assault on our values, and my deepest condolences go out to their grieving families.

In this crucial…

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) December 15, 2024

“An ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to each bereaved family, and every possible effort is underway to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible. If required, the case will be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ensure a fair and thorough inquiry,” he added.

Imphal:

A threat letter along with a hand grenade was found at a contractor’s house in Manipur’s Imphal East district on Sunday, triggering panic in the neighbourhood, the police said.

The grenade was kept at the gate of the house of Thokchom Shankar, 52, in Kairang Makha Leikai Lane 3 in Heingang police station area, they said.

The note accompanying it asked if Mr Thokchom could save the lives of his family members, the police said.

The police took the grenade and started an investigation.

Extortion is suspected to be the cause of the threat, the police said, adding they were yet to identify those behind it.

Residents staged a protest at Singjamei in Imphal West district over a similar incident. On December 12, a bomb was left at a house in the area.

Imphal:

A suspected militant was killed and six members of his gang were arrested following a gunfight with security forces in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Saturday, the police said.

Acting on a tip-off, security forces tried to intercept a car in Salungpham but, instead of stopping, those inside it opened fire, they said.

This led to a brief exchange of fire, following which seven people who were in the car were apprehended, they added.

One of them had a bullet wound. The man identified as Laishram Prem, 18, was taken to a private hospital in Imphal, where he died. The six others were sent to the Lilong police station.

An INSAS rifle, an SLR, a .303 rifle and an Amogh carbine were recovered from them along with several mobile phones, the police said.

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

Three members of the Arambai Tenggol who were on the prowl to extort money from the public and government officials were arrested in Manipur’s capital Imphal, the police have said. A Ghatak assault rifle with one magazine and five rounds, a .32 country made pistol with magazine, three mobile phones, a four-wheeler and other incriminating material were seized from them during the operation on Sunday, the police said in a statement.

“Manipur Police arrested three armed miscreants and apprehended one juvenile from… Imphal East district, who were found loitering in the area to commit… extortion of money from general public and government officials… as well as threatening the general public,” the police said in a statement. “They were later found to be members of Arambai Tenggol,” the police said, referring to the Meitei armed group which calls itself “defence volunteers”.

The Arambai Tenggol maintains it started out as a youth group of the valley-dominant Meitei community, but took up arms after ethnic clashes with the Kuki tribes began in May 2023. Locally known as AT, it faces charges of looting weapons from police armouries, acts which it says were necessary to protect the Meitei community from Kuki militants and due to ineffective action by security forces in the early days of the ethnic clashes.

On 01.12.2024, Manipur Police arrested 03 (three) armed miscreants and apprehended 01 (one) juvenile from Kshetrigao Sabal Leikai, Imphal East District who were found loitering in the area to commit prejudicial activities like extortion of money from general public and government…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) December 2, 2024

The Kuki tribes also have armed groups equipped with modern assault rifles and other military-grade weapons, who call themselves “village volunteers”.

The three AT members have been identified as Ningombam Lemba Singh, 25; Mangshatabam Poireinganba Meitei, 21, and Laishram Bidyas Singh, 21.

The Manipur Police said they recovered a large amount of guns, ammunition and other lethal items during operations in the fringe and vulnerable areas in the hills and valley districts.

Search For Missing Man

The police said joint teams including the Indian Army are searching for a man from the Meitei community who went missing from an army base in Leimakhong.

“Indian Army has extended all support and resources to trace him using over 2,000 troops, helicopters, drones and army tracker dogs. Further investigation using technical intelligence is being undertaken,” the police said in the statement.

Rising Extortion Cases

There has been numerous extortion threats by groups of armed people in recent times in Manipur, especially in urban areas such as Imphal city and the district headquarters in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, sources had told NDTV in October, adding these groups are taking advantage of the Manipur crisis that have kept the police and the security forces occupied on maintaining peace.

AT members getting arrested for attempting to extort from the public is not new and not likely to stop, a retired senior police officer who is assisting the current administration told NDTV, requesting anonymity. “All kinds of gangs with five-six members using unheard-of militant group names have been extorting from the people despite such hard times,” the retired officer said.

Many shop owners in Imphal have complained of being forced to pay up by armed people, despite failing businesses due to no economic activity for over a year since violence began in May 2023. ‘Requests’ to pay up by random armed people have only been rising, they alleged.

“If you ask anyone in Imphal, they will say the same thing – extortion and thefts have increased. All businesses are dead. Where will money come from? People are stealing cooking gas cylinders, water pumps, anything they can get. Cooking gas costs over Rs 2,500 in the black market,” an Imphal resident had told NDTV in October, requesting anonymity.

The UNLF(P) is the only Meitei insurgent group that has signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and the state

Of the 39 terrorist organisations banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), eight are Meitei outfits from Manipur.

The only Meitei group that has agreed for talks is the United National Liberation Front (Pambei), or UNLF(P). This outfit – which is one of the two factions of the oldest Meitei armed group – is overground now after it signed a tripartite peace agreement with the Centre and the state government in November 2023.

The rise in extortion cases in Manipur comes after nearly a decade of relative peace and calm. Startups and entrepreneurship in Manipur had been growing fast, boosted by central and state assistance policies, until the ethnic violence put brakes on all economic activity.

Imphal/New Delhi:

A Manipur Police team that went to destroy illegal opium cultivation in the hills of Kangpokpi district were stopped by “80-90 armed miscreants” and forced to return without clearing the illegal farms, a police officer said in a first information report (FIR).

The police team had a mix of 25 personnel, and volunteers from the Liangmai Naga tribe and five drivers.

The team carried only three assault rifles as it is a physically demanding and difficult task to destroy poppy farms with farm tools while also carrying AK-type guns, a source who has first-hand information about the incident told NDTV.

“You can’t hold a weapon and also destroy poppy efficiently in such a sensitive area. The authorities should have deployed other forces along with the police,” the source said, requesting anonymity.

The small police team had no choice but to turn back when the armed miscreants tried to snatch the few guns the team had, the source said.

The area was remote and reinforcements would have taken a long time, so a decision was taken to ensure the safety of the joint team, the FIR stated.

While there is no official confirmation, there is a strong buzz in the security establishment in Manipur of a major operation involving central forces to clear new illegal opium poppy farms. The forces will retaliate if any armed miscreant threatens to stop the anti-poppy cultivation drive or fires at them, sources said.

The Kuki tribes in their demand for a separate administration carved out from Manipur often include Kangpokpi district in many unrecognised hand-drawn maps used for social media consumption.

Kangpokpi is also the turf of the insurgent group Kuki National Front (KNF), headed by ST Thangboi Kipgen, and this group is one of the over two dozen Kuki-Zo militant groups that have signed the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement, which the Manipur government has been demanding to be scrapped. The SoO agreement’s last renewal deadline was in February this year.

Civil society groups of the Meitei community have alleged the hand of Kuki insurgent groups in growing illegal opium poppy in areas dominated by them.

The Kangpokpi police chief in a flash message on November 18 ordered officers in charge of Kangpokpi and G Saparmeina police stations to destroy the illegal opium poppy farms in Makhan hill range, police sources told NDTV. The area of operation fell under the jurisdiction of the police in G Saparmeina, some 35 km north of the state capital Imphal.

READ | Exclusive: End Of Opium Poppy Cultivation In Manipur Soon? Satellite Imagery Data Shows…

“The team further proceeded by foot for about three hours and just before reaching the spot, some unknown armed miscreants numbering around 80-90 people blocked the team. The unknown miscreants were carrying guns, dagger and wooden cubs and threatened to even kill the team members if they proceeded for destroying the illegal poppy plantations,” the incident details in the FIR stated.

“Considering the isolation of the location for reinforcement to reach in time and the number of miscreants with weapons and the safety and security of the life of the [poppy] destruction team, the joint team returned without destroying the illicit poppy plantations at 3 pm,” the FIR stated.

The joint team which also included officers from the forest department and the executive magistrate had started out from G Saparmeina police station at 8.30 am.

The Makhan village authority in a statement said the government should clear the land encroachment by “opium poppy planters” and clear all the illegal cultivation from their area in four days, otherwise things would turn “repulsive and abominable”.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in an interview to NDTV on November 21 had said the authorities have found five villages in Kangpokpi that have been growing illegal opium poppy, while the security forces were busy monitoring other sensitive areas in the ethnic crisis-hit state, adding the farms would be destroyed in a few days.