After mob attack on Manipur Rifles, situation under control in Imphal

IMPHAL: The situation in Manipur’s capital Imphal remained calm but tense on Thursday, a day after security forces fired several rounds in the air to disperse a large mob of more than 2,000 people who tried to loot an armoury within the camp of the 1 Manipur Rifles.

Several markets in the city remained closed but educational institutions, government offices and the Manipur High Court were functioning normally, while vehicles were seen plying on roads after the curfew was relaxed from 10 am.

The administration deployed additional state and central forces at major junctions and police personnel were seen patrolling the area near the Manipur Rifles camp.

“Yesterday’s attempt to loot arms and ammunitions at 1st MR Battalion by armed miscreants was repulsed by combined security forces effectively,” the state police said on Thursday.

The mob targeted the Manipur Rifles camp, close to the Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister’s Office in Imphal West district on Wednesday.

Responding to the situation, the district authorities in Imphal East and West immediately withdrew the daily curfew relaxation from 5 am to 10 pm.

District Magistrate Imphal East, however, relaxed the curfew restriction from 10 am to 6 pm on Thursday. Such a restriction was also lifted in Imphal West from 10 am to 5 pm.

The “restriction of movements of persons outside their respective residences has been relaxed from 10 am to 6 pm on Thursday” but “the relaxation does not apply to any gathering or large scale movement of persons or sit in protests or rally which is unlawful in nature,” the government said.