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IMPHAL — Manipur police have busted a racket involved in the production and sale of counterfeit Inner Line Permit (ILP) cards, arresting nine individuals, including a Labour department official.
Authorities estimated that approximately 3,500 fake ILP cards were circulated before the operation dismantled the network.
This was announced by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh during a press conference at his official residence in Imphal on Friday evening.
Accompanied by MLAs M Rameshwar, Kh Ibomcha, Th Shyamkumar, senior police and civil officials, Singh revealed that the operation was the culmination of a raid on five locations in and around Imphal.
During the raid, police seized a substantial number of fake ILP cards, along with computers and laptops used in their production.
Altogether, nine persons have been arrested including one Lower Division Clerk (LDC) from the Labour department, he informed.
Stating that the base year for ILP eligibility is December 31, 1961, as stipulated by ILP norms and the Act passed by the Manipur Assembly, Singh said that only the Deputy Commissioner and Labour Commissioner hold the authority to issue genuine ILP cards.
Investigations suggest that the counterfeit cards were being sold for between INR 800 to INR 1,000 each, he said.
Now, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under one Additional Superintendent of Police to thoroughly investigate the matter and book the culprits, he added.
In a bid to curb the circulation of these fraudulent documents, the state government has issued an alert to all police stations, instructing them to apprehend individuals found in possession of fake ILP cards, the chief minister said.
He also made a public appeal, urging anyone holding counterfeit ILP cards to surrender it at the nearest police station or Deputy Commissioner's office to avoid facing legal repercussions.
Manipur, which implemented the ILP system on January 1, 2020, joined Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram as the fourth state in India to adopt this regulation. Since its implementation, over one lakh genuine ILP cards have been issued, according to official figures.
The ILP system mandates that individuals from other states seeking entry into Manipur, or other ILP-enforced states obtain prior permission. Its primary objective is to regulate the influx of non-indigenous populations, safeguarding the rights and interests of indigenous communities regarding land, employment, and resources.