Curfew has been reimposed in Tengnoupal district of Manipur owing to the worsening law and order situation in the district, particularly in Moreh town, following the arrest of two prime suspects in the murder of a police officer (SDPO Moreh) some two months ago.
The curfew was reimposed after strong agitations erupted in Moreh town of the district after the police arrested two prime suspects in the murder of SDPO of Moreh, Ch Anand Singh.
The SDPO was killed in a sniper attack by miscreants on October 31 last year.
The two suspects – Phillip Khaikholal Khongsai and Hemkholal Mate – were arrested by a Manipur police special command team near Moreh College in a search operation on January 15 afternoon, around 4:30 pm, according to a police source.
The police said that the two persons opened fire on vehicles of the police commandos before running into a cluster of houses. On being fired upon, the security forces immediately retaliated and cordoned off the suspected houses near Moreh College.
The police commandos arrested them after a brief chase. One pistol loaded with two live rounds, one Chinese made hand grenade, 1o live rounds of AK ammunition and 10 detonators with fuse were recovered from their possessions, the police said.
The arrested persons are among the main suspects behind the killing of SDPO Ch Anand Singh, the police added.
However, agitations erupted in the border town after the police arrested the two persons. The crowd stormed and pelted stones toward the Moreh police station and other posts of the police and security forces in the border town, demanding immediate and unconditional release of the two persons.
In their bids to control the mobs, the police and troops of Assam Rifles fired guns in the air. A woman among the agitators reportedly sustained injuries in the melee.
The agitations prompted the district administration in the border district to suspend an earlier order relaxing the curfew for the day (Tuesday), an official source said.
The order stated that the curfew relaxation order issued earlier in the district was to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food items.
However, there were inputs of likelihood of a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquility and grave danger to human lives and property within the revenue jurisdiction of Tengnoupal district. Therefore, the curfew relaxation order stands cancelled and the whole area of Tengnoupal district shall be under total curfew from 12 am of January 16 till further order, the order said.
