Manipur Anti Riots Action: Manipur Police has warned that it will take necessary anti-riot action if protesters continue to attack security forces with lethal weapons. This warning was issued in response to the protest in Kakwa on Sunday (September 15). This protest turned violent on Saturday (September 14).
Police said bulletproof vehicles of the superintendents of police (SP) of Imphal West and East were damaged by bullets allegedly fired by protesters. Tensions escalated among protesters after a 34-year-old woman, who suffered a miscarriage after she was suffocated by tear gas shells fired by police during a protest in Imphal earlier this week, suffered a miscarriage on Saturday.
Firing was also done on SP’s bulletproof vehicle
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Range I, N. Herojit told the media on Sunday that during efforts to control the angry mob in Kakwa area, armed miscreants attacked the police with firearms and tear gas shells at around 11.30 pm on Saturday. He said the miscreants also fired indiscriminately at the bulletproof vehicle of the Imphal East SP.
“It is unfortunate that unlike earlier protests, the police are now having to retaliate against protesters with lethal weapons, including petrol bombs, iron rods fired from slingshots and automatic firearms,” Herojit said.
Officer and other workers were injured
Earlier, on the night between 6 and 7 September, the officer-in-charge of the Imphal East Commando Unit, along with another personnel, was injured by bullets allegedly fired by protesters at Khabeisoi in Imphal East when they were controlling a mob that was trying to attack the 7th Manipur Rifles in an attempt to loot firearms from the armoury.
‘Don’t force the police to take harsh action’
Herojit stressed that the Manipur Police used minimum force to control the crowd keeping in mind the safety of the people. He urged people to protest in a democratic manner without damaging public property.
Herojit said, “The police are not the enemy, they are also sons of the soil. The infiltration of armed miscreants along with the protesters and deliberately targeting the police should be stopped. Do not force the police to take extreme action while controlling the crowd.”