Imphal: A curfew has been imposed in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, as tensions rise due to ongoing clashes. The decision follows the worsening of the law and order situation in the region. According to the District Magistrate, the curfew will occur from 4:30 PM on Saturday until further notice.
The unrest follows the discovery of three bodies, believed to be of people who went missing from Jiribam, a town in Manipur. The six missing individuals, including three women and three children, were reported to have been abducted by suspected militants on Monday morning. In the aftermath of this, widespread protests erupted in the region. Demonstrators attacked and vandalized the residences of two state ministers and three Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), turning the protest violent.
Protesters also damaged and set fire to the homes and vehicles of BJP leaders in the area. As a result, the authorities declared a curfew in the region. Additionally, internet services were suspended for two days across seven districts, including Imphal East and Imphal West.
The six missing individuals, a family from the Meitei community, were last seen in the Borobek area of Jiribam. Three bodies, including that of a woman and two children, were found, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem at the Silchar Medical College Hospital.
The six missing individuals had been staying at a relief camp set up by the Borobek Police after violent incidents in the region in June. The Meitei community has alleged that militants, armed with weapons, abducted the six individuals during an attack in the early hours of Monday. In the earlier weeks, ten militants were killed by security forces in an operation in the same relief camp.
Earlier this week, the bodies of two elderly Meitei men, who had been staying at the relief camp, were discovered in the area. A search was conducted for the missing six people, but they could not be found. Protests demanding the return of the missing individuals had been escalating in Jiribam.
