AR seeks action against insurgents using lookalike paramilitary vehicles

IMPHAL — The Assam Rifles has requested Manipur police to take prompt action against the valley-based insurgents and miscreants who have acquired vehicles and modified them to resemble those used by the Central paramilitary force.

The Churachandpur-based headquarters of 27 Sector of Assam Rifles, in a confidential letter to the Superintendent of police of Churachandpur district said that immediate actions should be taken against such illegal modification of vehicles to avoid any kind of adverse incident.

The Assam Rifles’ September 18 letter, accessed by IANS, said, “It is reliably learnt that few Meitei miscreants with the help of VBIGs (Valley Based Insurgents Groups) have acquired many used TATA 407 from civil market and have converted them to resembled like the TATA 407 vehicle being used by Assam Rifles by painting and putting the Assam Rifles insignia.”

“These vehicles are located in the general area of Kakching. Conversion of civil vehicle to lookalike of Assam Rifles vehicle clearly shows the nefarious intention of VBIGs to tarnish the image of Assam Rifles or to utilise the same vehicle for anti-national activities,” the letter said.

“It is requested to please disseminate this input to SP, Kakching and to your higher authorities so that a preemptive action can be taken to avert any kind of adverse incident,” it added.

The development comes at a time when the Manipur police on September 16 arrested five persons with sophisticated weapons in camouflage uniforms.

On Friday, the Manipur police displayed a fake identity card, posted on the X (formerly Twitter) : “Fake I-card. Manipur Police has not issued such a card. Necessary legal action will be initiated.”

A senior Manipur police official said that the police have information that miscreants masquerading as police commandos are roaming around and such acts, including demands for extortion and threats, have hampered the efforts to normalise the situation that the police have been genuinely making.

“We have several reports from different valley districts including Imphal East and Imphal West that there is an increase in complaints related to extortion and threats,” the official told the media.

Meanwhile, The Manipur government on Friday night warned people, who have looted arms, to deposit them within 15 days, otherwise stern legal and security measures would be taken against them.

A release, issued from Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s office said that all illegal weapons held by any person or groups across the state should be surrendered forthwith or within a period of 15 days.

The state government is willing to take a considerate view for the persons depositing such illegal weapons within these 15 days.

“At the end of the 15 days, security forces, both of the Centre and the state, will undertake a strong and comprehensive search operation all over the state to recover such weapons, and all persons associated with any illegal weapons will be dealt with severely, as per the law,” the statement said.

It said that there have been reports of extortion, threats and abduction by miscreants/ groups using these illegal weapons.

“This is a serious matter and the state government will take strong action against such miscreants/groups in any part of the state,” the release said, appealing to the people of the state to cooperate with both the Central and state government in restoring peace and normalcy in the state.

Accepting the recommendations of the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC), the state government on Thursday has directed the Director General of Police to recover the arms and ammunition, looted during the ethnic riot from the armouries of security forces and the Churachandpur gun shop.

According to various reports, during the ethnic riots, which broke out on May 3, over 4,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of different kinds of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers and militants.

Inspector General of Police, Operations, I.K. Muivah, last week, said that of the weapons that had been “lost”, 1,359 firearms and 15,050 various types of ammunition were recovered.

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