CBI registers 6 cases, forms SIT to probe Manipur violence

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered six cases and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate Manipur violence, CBI officials said on Friday.

On Thursday, two bike-borne miscreants allegedly hurled a low-intensity Improvised explosive device (IED) at the gate of MLA Soraisam Kebi’s residence, police said. “There were no casualties in the incident. Except for a few holes in the ground, the blast did not cause any major damage,” an officer said.

According to the Manipur Police, the two bikers hurled and blew an IED at the residence of Naoriya Pakhanglakpa MLA, Soraisam Kebi, in the Imphal West hamlet of Ningthemcha Karong.

An IED is a bomb assembled in an improvised manner incorporating destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals and designed to destroy or incapacitate personnel or vehicles. In some cases, IEDs are used to distract, disrupt, or delay an opposing force, facilitating another type of attack.

Earlier, on Thursday, the advisor (Security) to the Manipur government, Kuldiep Singh, said the situation in Manipur remained peaceful and under control as no incident of violence was reported in the last 48 hours in the Northeast state.

To provide relief to the displaced people of Manipur, Singh said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a relief package worth Rs 101.75 crore.

The MHA’s approval of the relief package for the displaced in Manipur followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s direction to the state government to send a request to his ministry for such a package.

“A total of 896 arms and 11,763 ammunition and 200 bombs of different kinds have been recovered to date,” said Singh, who was appointed security advisor to the Manipur government at the beginning of May in view of the spiralling violence in Manipur.

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s appeal on June 1, a total of 140 weapons were surrendered at different places in Manipur on June 2. The weapons surrendered included SLR 29, Carbine, AK, INSAS Rifle, INSAS LMG, .303 Rifle, 9mm pistol, .32 pistol, M16 rifle, smoke gun and tear gas, a locally made pistol, a stun gun, modified rifle, JVP and grenade launcher.

Shah had also appealed to the people of Manipur not to pay heed to rumours and maintain peace.

Manipur saw violence on May 3 during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.