Even as the ethnic violence in Manipur between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki-Zo continues for about half a year, fresh looting of arms and weapons still occurred in the capital city, Imphal.
As per police source, on November 1 at around 6:00 PM, suspected Meitei radicalised groups numbering about 700 stormed the 1st Bn. Manipur Rifle campus through the North Gate No.1 in SUVs mounted with sophisticated weapons with an intent to snatch arms and ammunition from DGP Pool Arm Kote and Unit Pool Arm Kote (Quarter Guard), 1MR.
The 1st Battalion of Manipur Rifles is located at just about 500 metres away from the high security zone of chief minister’s bungalow, Bapupara, Imphal.
The Security forces fired tear gas and live rounds and repelled the armed miscreants at around 7:45 PM. Gunfiring between the armed miscreants and security personnel ensued for about two hours.
It was reported that 03 personnel of K/152 Battalion CRPF deployed at North Gate, 1st Bn. MR sustained injuries in the scuffle when the armed miscreants tried to snatch their service weapons. The injured personnel were identified as Arup Das (39 yrs) S/o Umesh Chandra Das of Dhup guri District, Assam, bullet injury in the right side shoulder; Nalijit Taluk Das (27) S/o Romani Talukdar of Assam, minor head injury, and Lil Kantha Raj (29) S/o Pradeep Raj of Assam, minory injury on left finger.
The armed miscreants took away arms and ammunition such as two tear gas guns and one AK-47 along with three magazines containing 88 ammunition from the personnel deployed in and around 1st Bn. MR campus.
The escort personnel of IGP (Zone-I) were also robbed and one KT43 (AK rifle) bearing No. 7586 along with three Magazines and 90 number of rounds; one KP43 (AK rifle) bearing No. 6795 along with two Magazines and 60 number of rounds; KP43 (AK rifle) bearing No. 6915 along with three Magazines and 90 number of rounds; two numbers of AK Rifles Magazines and 60 numbers of rounds; two numbers of tear gas guns (i.e 2K16 bearing No. 23158 and 2K15 bearing No. 20964), and six numbers of Bullet Proof caps and BP plate set of 4 numbers were taken away.
From the armed security of Manipur, Central Jail located at Old Lambulane, one AKM Ghatak bearing Regd. No.203900298 along with two Magazines and 60 number of rounds; one AKM bearing Regd. No. BA44-7094 along with three Magazine and 90 number of rounds; one INSAS Rifles bearing Regd. No. 16841366 along with three Magazines and 60 numbers of rounds, and two SLR Magazines along with 40 number of rounds were taken away.
Further, the armed radicals also destroyed IGP prisons office, Superintendent of Jail office, JCO room and took away five vehicles such as: One Bolero and one hard top Gypsy for IGP prisons, two numbers of Gypsy along with one walkie talkie set attached to the vehicle of Superintendent Manipur Central Jail Imphal, one Gypsy assigned to QRT, one hard top Gypsy assigned to senior FO and one Gypsy assigned to escort of SP Sajiwa.
The armed group also entered and ransacked the computer room of Manipur Police Control Room, NAB office and office of ADGP(Int), Manipur. They also fired at the office of CID (SB) and took away another one Gypsy bearing No. MN01W0311 which was parked under locked and key at the main gate of Sanamahi Temple, 1st MR which was allocated to W. Ishwarchandra Singh, DY.CO-5th IRB.
In this regard a case has been registered at Imphal PS, police said.
