IMPHAL: Curfew has been reimposed in Manipur’s Imphal West after an incident of arms snatching was reported from the district on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by the District Magistrate, the curfew relaxations, which were in place from 5 am to 10 pm in the district, stands cancelled “due to the developing of law-and-order situation”.
“However, movement of persons belonging to essential services… shall be exempted from the imposition of curfew,” read a statement issued by Dr N Johnson Meetei, Additional District Magistrate, Imphal West.
Reports going viral state that a mob tried to snatch arms from a battalion of 1st Manipur Rifles and locals apparently heard gunshots. More information on the incident are awaited.
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Missing arms has been a matter of serious concern for the authorities amidst the ongoing strife in Manipur. Earlier on October 31, Assam Rifles had raised concerns of weapons falling into the “wrong hands”. Speaking to the press, Director General of Assam Rifles, Lt Gen P C Nair, had said that if missing arms are not recovered, it can pose serious threat to state’s security.
Meanwhile, the Sainik School Imphal Alumni Association has condemned the “cowardly act and brutal killing” of sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Chingtham Anand who was shot dead by unidentified armed men on Tuesday. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the association has urged the government to bring the culprits to book.
“We strongly urge and request the state and Central government to apprehend and take appropriate action against the culprits involved in the heinous crime…” the statement read. The members of the association also visited the family of Anand and observed a two-minute silence in his honour.
