20,000 evacuated, additional security forces deployed in violence-hit Manipur

As many as 14 company of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Manipur gripped by violence. And, more paramilitary forces will be deployed, official sources said.

 DGP P Doungel (C), ADGP (Intelligence) L Kailun (Left) and ADGP Ashutosh Sharma (R) at press briefing in Imphal on May 5, 2023

Imphal Free Press, Imphal, 5 May 2023:  As many as 20,000 people have been successfully evacuated and 14 company of paramilitary forces have been deployed so far in violence-hit Manipur. More paramilitary forces will be deployed, as the Centre has sanctioned 20 more company to be deployed in the state, official sources said on Friday.

A total of eight Indian Air Force flights carrying security personnel, including the RAF, CRPF and BSF, are expected to arrive in Imphal on Friday. While three flights with 700 RAF personnel in each landed, five other flights are yet to land, the sources said. 

"Their act will be very different from Manipur police as they are trained for war to fight the enemy," DGP P Doungel said during a press briefing in Imphal on Friday.

He also said, "As many as 15000-20000 victims have been successfully evacuated so far, and are kept in safe locations".

The DGP appealed to the public to surrender the weapons snatched from around seven-eight police posts by mobs, at the earliest.

"Those who surrender the weapons will be spared, considering it a mob action. Those who fail to surrender the weapons will face severe legal consequences," the DGP said, adding that the case might be handed over to the NIA if they fail to surrender the weapons.

The DGP also told mediapersons that 23 vulnerable police stations have been identified. "Senior police officers are taking the charges, besides deploying central forces," he said.

Informing that the situation had improved, he appealed to the public to cooperate.

Regarding news of mob rape in Churachandpur, he clarified that it was a rumour and MLA Vungzagin Valte, who was injured in mob action on Thursday, is under treatment in the hospital and "out of danger".

The press meet was also attended by ADGP Kailun and Ashutosh Sinha, who has been newly appointed as Operational Commander, to bring normalcy in the state.

Manipur was seized by unprecedented violence on May 3-4. Several houses and other establishments were burnt down in various districts, including the capital Imphal. The violence followed the Tribal Solidarity March against the ST demand of the Meitei/Meetei community called by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur in all tribal-inhabited hill districts of the state on May 3.

Meanwhile, internet or data services, including broadband viz Reliance Jio Fiber, Airtel Extreme Black, BSNL FTTH, have been suspended in Manipur for the next five days with immediate effect, according to the government order issued on Thursday in view of the prevailing tense law and order situation in the state.