Manipur violence: State police lodge criminal case against Assam Rifles after altercation

The personnel of Assam Rifles, India’s oldest paramilitary force, have been booked by Manipur state police for “obstruction of duty” and “criminal intimidation”.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed on Tuesday (Aug 8) claiming that the personnel of the 9thbattalion of the Assam Rifles stopped the Manipur Police from pursuing armed miscreants involved in the killing of three men in Kwakta in Bishnupur district on Saturday morning.

The police have accused the Assam Riflesof the “arrogant act” of “giving a chance to the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to a safe zone”.

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They claimed that the Assam Rifles used armoured vehicles to block their way leading to an altercation between the two. A video of the incident also went viral on Saturday.

Unprecedented move

The move is believed to be unprecedented as the Assam Rifles is one of the Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF) administered by the central government, and its operational control is maintained by the Indian Army, whereas the Manipur Police falls under the state government.

The move reflects the deep mistrust running between the Assam Rifles and the Manipur people since the start of the ethnic violence that began on May 3 and claimed more than 150 lives.

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Civil society groups in the state and several BJP state lawmakers have accused the paramilitary force of bias in controlling the situation.

On August 7, the BJP state leadership even submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the permanent removal of the force from Manipur.

Indian Army rejects allegations

The army, however, rejected the allegation against the Assam Rifles, saying, “Some inimical elements have made desperate, repeated & failed attempts to question the role, intent and integrity of the Central Security Forces, especially Assam Rifles.”

“Indian Army and Assam Rifles assure the people of Manipur that we will continue to remain firm and resolute in our actions to prevent any attempt that could result in furthering violence...” the Spear Corps posted on social media platform ‘X’.

It pointed out two instances that emerged over the last 24 hours, which the army sayswere aimed at maligning the image of Assam Rifles.

In the first case, the army said, the Assam Rifles battalion has acted strictly in accordance with the mandate of the Unified Headquarters of strict enforcement of buffer zone guidelines towards the aim of preventing violence between the two communities.

In the second case, it said, the Assam Rifles being moved out of an area is not even related to them.

An infantry battalion of the army is deployed in the area, since the crisis erupted in May, from where the narrative of Assam Rifles being moved out has been made, it said.

Assam Rifles replaced

In the wake of the tensions, Assam Rifles personnel were replaced with civil police and Central Reserve Police Force at a check post in Moirang between Bishnupur and Kangvai on Monday (Aug 7).

According to the HT newspaper, the order was issued by the additional director general of police, law and order, and it did not cite any reason for this.

Nevertheless, Assam Rifles and other paramilitary forces continue to remain posted across the state to restore normalcy.

Currently, CRPF, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Assam Rifles, along with the Indian Army, are posted in Manipur.

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