Media reports on Kuki militants attacking Police convoy in Tengnoupal is "fake, fabricated"

The Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal (KIT) has clarified that the media reports on Police convoy being attacked by suspected Kuki militants in Tengnoupal district on October 12 evening is "fake and fabricated."

In a press release issued on Saturday, the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal outrightly rejected the media reports of Kuki militants attacking a convoy of Additional Superintendent of Police, Tengnoupal, Ts Chamna MPS, on his way between Lokchao (Tuipi Mate) to Sibong Khudengthabi Village at around 5:00 pm on October 12.

Also, the Sibong Khudengthabi Village Authority and Lokchao (Tuipi Mate) Village Authority have also vehemently denied the alleged attack on Police convoy in their jurisdictional area and clarified that the media report was totally wrong. The village authorities also stated that workers of SKV Infra Ltd. engaged in the construction of roads also corroborated the fact that not a single gunshot sound was heard.

The Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal alleged that the news report was based on the report of Additional SP, Tengnoupal, Ts Chamna, who has hidden motives to malign the image and reputation of Kuki-Zo community of Tengnoupal district. "This action of instigating violence on innocent people in the name of peace, law and order by means of fake propaganda exposes their evil intention to bring-in more State forces/Police Commandos in Tengnoupal District," it said.

The Kuki apex body of Tengnoupal asserted that deployment of Meitei security forces including police commandos in Moreh town and Tengnoupal district is not at all helpful in maintaining peace and law and order.

The Meitei security forces including the police commandos were an agent of hatred, violence and fake propagandist between the public and central security forces in Moreh and Tengnoupal District. As such their withdrawal from Moreh and Tengnoupal district is highly required, added KIT.

Meanwhile, Sibong Khudengthabi Village Authority and Lokchao (Tuipi Mate) Village Authority expressed shocked over the claim circulating in various social media platforms that a Police tearn travelling in a gypsy was fired upon by armed miscreants from a Hill lock between Lokchao (Tuipi Mate) Bridge and Sibong Khudengthabi Village while on their way to Moreh. The village authorities made it clear that the alleged ambush site was situated very close to the village habitational area and such an alleged incident occurring in silence, without being heard by any person nearby, is indeed shocking.

"Such an alleged violent incident cannot happen in silence and the report made by various media outlets is unacceptable to the people. It is viewed as an attempt to tarnish the image of both the villages, said the village authorities.

The village authorities appealed one and all to refrain from disseminating such false information in future which could have lethal repercussions in the already volatile situation of the State.

Denying occurrence of the incident, the Chairman of Unified Command, Mr. Kuldiep Singh, while briefing to the media on Friday, also said that he only got the information of the reported incident from a news report on Thursday.

In response to a media query regarding the casualty of security forces due to the reported incident, Kuldeep Singh said he did not have any idea. "Casualty in security forces is not a normal thing and that is not happening everyday," he added.