Protesters attacked and demonstrated in front of the homes of at least two Manipur Ministers and three MLAs in Imphal on Saturday, demanding justice for the murder of six people who were taken hostage in Jiribam district, the police said.
The mob attacks on legislators’ houses prompted the Imphal West administration to impose prohibitory orders in the district for an indefinite period. The authorities have suspended internet and mobile data services for two days in Imphal West, East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur.
A mob stormed the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Sapam Ranjan in Lamphel Sanakeithel area, a senior officer said.
Agitators in Sagolband area of Imphal West district gathered in front of the residence of BJP legislator RK Imo, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and raised slogans demanding an “appropriate response from the government” over the killing of the six people persons and urging the authorities to “arrest the culprits within 24 hours”.
Protesters, who had come to meet Keishamthong constituency’s independent legislator Sapam Nishikanta Singh at his residence at Tiddim Road, targeted the office building of a local newspaper owned by him after they were told that the legislator was not present in the state, a senior officer said.
The police found six bodies five days after three women and three children, including an eight-month-old, from the Meitei community were taken hostage by suspected Kuki insurgents from Jiribam district, neighbouring Assam, top sources in the state government told NDTV on Saturday morning.
The women and children were taken hostage by a group of suspected Kuki insurgents from Jiribam’s Bokobera neighbourhood while another group of insurgents were engaged in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), sources have said.
Fighting broke out in the northeastern state more than a year ago between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community. The conflict has simmered since then, splitting previously cohabitating communities along ethnic lines.
