Three people were killed in a village in Manipur's Imphal West district on Friday when insurgents dressed as security personnel called them out of their homes under the guise of a combing operation and opened fire on them, news agency PTI reported citing an official. The incident occurred in a village on the border of the districts of Kangpoki and Imphal West. Officials believe the insurgents are from the Meitei ethnic group.
When security forces on routine patrol in the village heard gunshots, they intervened. According to officials, insurgents fled the area but not before killing three villagers.
Assam Rifles recovered the bodies. A search operation was later conducted by a joint team of Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, and the Army.
Clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
READ | Manipur Violence: CBI Forms SIT Under DIG-Rank Officer To Probe Riots Cases
CBI Sets Up SIT To Investigate Manipur Violence, Re-Registers Six FIRs Referred By State
The CBI on Friday formed a 10-member special investigation team (SIT) led by a DIG-rank officer to investigate six cases referred to it by the state government in connection with the Manipur violence, PTI reported citing officials.
During his visit to the northeastern state, Home Minister Amit Shah announced a CBI investigation into six FIRs, five on alleged criminal conspiracy and one on general conspiracy, in connection with the Manipur violence.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sent Joint Director Ghanshyam Upadhyay to coordinate with state officials, and the SIT was formed upon his return, as per the report.
The state government referred six cases to the agency, which re-registered them. The cases will be investigated by the Special Crime Branch in Kolkata, it said.
After a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, violence erupted in the northeastern state. Since the ethnic violence began more than a month ago, nearly 100 people have died and over 300 have been injured.
The clashes were preceded by a series of smaller agitations over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land. Meiteis make up about 53% of Manipur's population and live primarily in the Imphal Valley. Tribals – Nagas and Kukis – make up another 40% of the population and live in the hill districts. To keep the peace in the state, approximately 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles personnel have been deployed.