Imphal: A Kuki militant outfit on Friday cautioned Manipur Police that it would not remain a “mute spectator” following an alleged raid conducted by the force to arrest one of its leaders in Chandel district.
The United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF), which is under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government, condemned the late-night raid purportedly carried out by Chandel Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Kumar at the residence of one of its leaders in the Sajik Tampak area on Wednesday.
In a statement, the UKLF termed the SP’s action “serious” and warned that it would not remain silent if such operations continued. The outfit asserted that since signing the SoO agreement, it had been adhering to the ground rules and striving for a “political solution” for the Kuki-Zo people.
Police, however, maintained that the operation was aimed at apprehending a suspected drug kingpin.
“Acting on credible intelligence, Chandel District Police carried out an operation in T Kotlen village in Sajik Tampak area on Wednesday to arrest a suspected drug trafficker. However, the individual managed to escape,” police said in a statement.
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They added that the police team came under attack by a mob while returning from the operation site.
The situation was peacefully resolved through dialogue with local leaders with support from the Assam Rifles and CAPF, allowing the team to return safely, police said.
