Manipur: Women protesters stop Indian Army convoy, ‘snatch 11 miscreants’, say police; videos surfaced

A large group of women-led protesters confronted the Indian Army and forcefully released 11 miscreants after they were detained with arms and ammunition in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Tuesday, police said.

In a statement, the Manipur Police said, during patrolling, a column of the Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army intercepted and detained the armed miscreants dressed in police fatigues. News agency PTI, citing unnamed officials, reported that the army was patrolling in the Kumbi area when they intercepted two SUVs.

“On seeing the Army personnel, the occupants of the two vehicles fled, leaving behind their arms,” PTI quoted an official as saying.

The Manipur Police said the soldiers of the Mahar Regiment seized three AK rifles (7 magazines and 210 ammunition), five INSAS (13 magazines and 260 ammunition), two SLR (9 magazines and 180 ammunition, two hand grenades and bulletproof jackets and other items from the miscreants’ possession and took them into their custody.

However, a while later, ‘Meira Paibis’ – a civilian group of Meitei women – gathered at the spot and demanded that the weapons be handed over to them.

“A group of womenfolk started gathering and blocked the road so as to prevent the movement of security forces. On being informed by the Army about the developing situation, District Police rushed to the spot. On reaching, it was informed by the army personnel that the 11 persons have been snatched by the womenfolk during aggressive confrontation with them despite their best efforts,” the Manipur Police said in the statement issued on social media platform X (formally Twitter).

“Displaying dogged determination and intent, teams of both Manipur Police and the Indian Army were successful in breaking through a number of obstacles/ barriers created by hostile sympathizers and reach out to the the teams at Kumbi PS. The recovered weapons and ammunitions were kept in safe custody. The mob was later dispersed and the situation was brought under control. Necessary legal action is being taken up,” it added.

Meanwhile, some videos have surfaced on social media in which hundreds of women can be seen blocking the road and preventing the Army convoy from leaving the area. To disperse the mob, the Army is purportedly seen firing in the air.

“Confiscating weapons from village volunteers guarding a fringe area like Kumbi leaves us exposed to possible attacks by armed militants from adjacent hill areas of Churachandpur district,” Jaya Khagenbam, a leader of the protestors, told PTI.

“Security forces should remember that their inability to protect villages located at the periphery of the Valley led to the emergence of the village volunteers,” she added.

The situation is now normal, and the Army personnel have withdrawn from the spot, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Manipur Police clarified that the miscreants were not linked to the April 27 incident at Naranseina where two CRPF personnel were killed.

“Further, there are reports of rumours on social media by certain handles linking the above miscreants with the incident of 27th April, 2024 at Naranseina wherein 02 (two) CRPF personnel were martyred. Both the incidents are separate and investigation is going on and no linkages with the Naranseina incident have been found till now,” it said in the statement.

Two CRPF personnel were killed and two others injured as militants attacked a camp of security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. The militants attacked an IRBn (India Reserve Battalion) camp at Naranseina in the Moirang Police Station area, they said.

“The militants fired indiscriminately from hilltops, targeting the camp. It started around 12.30 am and continued till about 2.15 am. The militants also hurled bombs, one of which exploded in the outpost of CRPF’s 128 battalion,” a senior police officer said.

He also said the deceased were identified as sub-inspector N Sarkar, a native of Assam’s Kokrajhar district, and head constable Arup Saini of Bankura district in West Bengal.