3 Houses Torched In Manipur's Imphal, Miscreants Snatch Away Policemen's Guns

Unidentified men snatched three weapons from the security personnel guarding the residence of former health and family welfare director K Rajo.

Three houses were set ablaze in Manipur/Representational Image

Source : Getty Images

Three abandoned houses were torched in at New Lambulane locality in Manipur's capital Imphal on Sunday afternoon by unidentified men after which firemen rushed to the spot and doused the flames, said the officials. Soon after the incident took place, people gathered in the area and demanded state and central forces deployed in the locality to allow them to enter into the area, said the officials as per a PTI report. The officials also said that a  the security forces later fired a few rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

In another development, three weapons were snatched by unidentified men from the security personnel guarding the residence of former health and family welfare director K Rajo around 2am on Sunday, police said, according to the report. 

The incident took place at Sagolband Bijoy Govinda under Imphal PS in Imphal West district, police said, adding the snatched weapons included two AK series rifles and a carbine.

Officials said that the investigation was underway to determine the circumstances leading to the incident. 

Meanwhile, the police have launched multiple operations to retrieve the weapons and apprehend those involved. 

On Thursday, security forces recovered four firearms, 38 ammunition, and eight bombs from Manipur's Imphal East and Imphal West districts during search operations. 

As per another PTI report, search operations were conducted in the fringe and vulnerable areas of Imphal East and Imphal West, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Thoubal districts during which firearms, ammunition and bombs were recovered by the security forces, stated a statement issued by the Manipur Police Control Room on Thursday night. 

The statement said "during the last 24 hours, the situation in the state was tense with sporadic incidents of congregation of protestors." A total of 123 'nakas' (checkpoints) were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and valley and police detained 1,581 persons in connection with violations in different districts of the state, the statement said, according to the PTI report.