Manipur: At Least 2 Dead, 25 Injured As Mob Storms SP Office in Churachandpur; Internet Shut, Section 144 Imposed

At least two people were killed and about 25 others were injured after security forces opened fire to disperse a mob of approximately 300-400 people who attempted to storm the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Manipur’s Kuki-Zo tribes-dominated Churachandpur district on Thursday night. The mob has gathered to protest against the suspension of a head constable after his selfie with “armed miscreants” went viral.

With tension prevailing in the district, the Manipur government clamped Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the area and temporarily suspended mobile internet in Churachandpur for 5 days.

According to the Manipur Police, in an attempt to breach the SP’s office, the mob gheraoed the premises, threw stones, and set a bus and other structures outside the district police chief’s office on fire. They demanded police reinstate the head constable, Siamlalpaul, who took the selfie in a bunker of “armed miscreants” and “village defence volunteers” atop a hill.

In response, the security forces, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), used tear gas shells to control the situation. They later opened fire as the angry mob turned violent.

“Mob numbering approx. 300-400 attempted to storm the office of SP CCP today, pelting stones, etc. The SF [security forces] including the RAF [Rapid Action Force], is responding appropriately by firing tear gas shells to control the situation. Things are under watch,” the Manipur Police posted on X.

“They climbed the gates and scaled the walls of the complex. Several vehicles were burnt, and later at night, the official residence of the deputy commissioner was torched,” a senior police official said by phone.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), an apex tribal body, warned district police chief Shivanand Surve, who had issued the suspension order, to leave Churachandpur within the next 24 hours.

Suspension Of Head Constable

Head constable Siamlalpaul was kept “under suspension with immediate effect until further orders” by Churachandpur SP Shivanand Surve after a video of him with “armed men” and “sitting together with village volunteers” went viral on social media.

“This tantamount to very grave misconduct being a member of the disciplined police force,” a police order said.

“A departmental inquiry is being contemplated against Siamlalpaul of Churachandpur district police, as a clip has gone viral on social media showing him making a video with armed men on February 14,” the order said.

Siamlalpaul has been asked not to “leave the station without prior permission” and “his pay and allowances have been restricted to subsistence allowance admissible as per the rules”, it said.

Violence In Manipur

Since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, armed village volunteers of different communities have been guarding their villages along the peripheries of different districts to prevent attacks from the rival community.

Close to 200 people have died since fierce fighting broke out between members of the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities in the state bordering Myanmar over sharing economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes. Thousands remain displaced in relief camps.

Churachandpur, home to the Kuki-Zo community, was among the first areas in the state to witness ethnic clashes when violence first erupted in May.