Manipur: 48 Additional Looted Weapons Returned to Police
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Synopsis
In response to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's appeal, 48 additional looted weapons, including sophisticated arms, have been surrendered to police in Manipur. This follows a significant recovery of over 771 weapons since the Governor's initial appeal, amidst ongoing ethnic tensions in the region.
Key Takeaways
- 48 looted weapons surrendered in last 24 hours.
- Over 771 weapons returned since February 20.
- Ethnic riots led to the looting of 6,000 arms.
- Governor extends voluntary surrender deadline.
- Meeting held to review national highway projects.
Imphal, March 5 (NationPress) In response to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's appeal, 48 additional looted weapons, including several advanced arms, have been surrendered to the police within the last 24 hours, according to officials.
A police representative stated that a total of 32 weapons and a significant amount of ammunition were returned across various districts on Wednesday, while 16 different types of looted firearms and a large cache of ammunition were handed back to the security forces, including Manipur Police, on Tuesday.
Senior police officials reported that to date, over 771 looted and illegally possessed weapons, including many sophisticated arms along with a substantial amount of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces since the Governor's initial appeal on February 20.
Various reports indicate that during the ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities starting on May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 sophisticated arms and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were plundered from police stations and outposts by mobs and militants.
The security forces have successfully recovered a significant portion of these looted arms.
Governor Bhalla, in a recent appeal on February 28, stated: “The request made on February 20 has seen a positive response. Following the expiration of the seven-day deadline for the voluntary surrender of such weapons, there has been a request from both valley and hill regions to extend the surrender period. I have taken this request into account and decided to extend the deadline until 4 p.m. on March 6 for voluntary arms surrender.” During this time, no punitive measures will be enacted against individuals who willingly surrender weapons. However, anyone found in possession of illicit or looted arms after the deadline will face legal consequences as per the law.
In the meantime, the Governor of Manipur held a meeting on Wednesday at Raj Bhavan to thoroughly review the progress of ongoing national highway projects in the state.
An official from Raj Bhavan mentioned that during this meeting, M.S. Deval, Executive Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), delivered a comprehensive briefing on the current status of various national highway projects under construction across different areas of Manipur. Deval also pointed out significant challenges impacting project execution.
Governor Bhalla instructed officials to take necessary actions to tackle these challenges and ensure that the projects are completed on time.
Inspector General of CRPF Rajendra Narayan Das, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and the Secretary of the Manipur Land Resources Department attended the meeting.
Members of the Red Cross, Senapati District Branch, met with the Governor on Wednesday to discuss the key challenges they encounter while performing their humanitarian duties in the region.
The Governor commended the members for their committed humanitarian efforts and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
