Manipur has suffered from ethnic clashes since early May.
New Delhi:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered six First Information Reports (FIRs) and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged conspiracy behind the recent violence in Manipur, which began on May 3. The violence, primarily between the Kuki and Meitei communities, has claimed more than 100 lives and displaced over 35,000 people.
The six cases selected by the Manipur government for the CBI’s investigation include a common conspiracy case to ascertain whether the ethnic violence was pre-planned. This comes out of more than 3,700 FIRs registered in the state since the violence erupted. The largest number of cases were filed in the Imphal West district, followed by Kangpokpi and Bishnupur.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a meeting with Naga legislators, meanwhile, has called for them to act as a bridge between the Kuki and Meitei communities and help restore peace to the state. This comes amid demands from the Kuki MLAs for a separate administration and the Naga MLAs distancing themselves from this demand. The six hill districts where no curfew has been imposed are mostly Naga-dominated areas.
Kuldiep Singh, security adviser to the Manipur government, indicated that the situation in Manipur had remained peaceful and under control, with no incidence of violence reported in the last 48 hours. He also announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a Rs 101.75 crore relief package to aid the displaced people in Manipur.
Since the start of the violence, over 4,000 weapons have been looted from police armouries and camps in Manipur. However, security forces have recovered a total of 896 arms, 11,763 ammunitions, and 200 different kinds of bombs to date, including 28 more arms recovered since Wednesday.
The curfew has been relaxed for 12 hours in five valley districts and eight to ten hours in the neighbouring hill districts. Movement of essential items along NH-37 is ensured, with hundreds of vehicles mobilizing daily. Joint teams of state and central forces have also intensified combing operations in many parts of the state, and senior officers have been stationed in vulnerable areas.
