NEW DELHI: The Manipur Government has suspended five police personnel over the May 4 incident in which two women were allegedly stripped and paraded by a mob in Thoubal district of the state that has been witnessing ethnic violence for the past three months, officials said today.
The decision to suspend the personnel, including the in-charge of Nongpok Sekmai police station, was taken soon after a purported video of the incident surfaced on July 19 and soon went viral, the officials said. They said the action was prompt and wasn’t revoked despite protests by certain sections, particularly from the majority community. One of the women was allegedly gang-raped.
In a fresh case of violence, 15 houses were set afire in Imphal West district late last evening as a mob went on a rampage at Langol Games village. Security personnel fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, said officials. A 45-year-old man was injured in firing and has been admitted to hospital. In view of the fresh flare-up, 10 more companies of central forces five from the Central Reserve Police Force, three from the Border Security Force and one each from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal have been deployed to aid the existing security personnel.
The Manipur Police have also ordered a time-bound inquiry by an Inspector General-rank officer to investigate the looting of an armoury on August 3 in Bishnupur. About 19,000 bullets were looted from the headquarters of the 2nd India Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Naranseina. The police have so far recovered 1,195 looted arms 1,057 from the valley districts and 138 from the hill districts and thousands of bullets. “Raids are being conducted to recover the looted arms and ammunition. Strict action will be taken against those indulging in such action,” said DGP Rajiv Singh.
The ethnic clashes broke out on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence has so far claimed over 160 lives.