Some armed miscreants reportedly threatened vendors around 10.30 am at Tribal Market, New Checkon, Imphal East district, and made them shut down their shops, after which three persons were apprehended by the combined security forces from the area on Monday.
Former MLA, Henglep assembly constituency Telvum Thangzalam Haokip (TT Haokip) was among the three persons apprehended by the Combined Security forces. Two licensed guns were also seized from his possession. The remaining two have been identified as Bicky Singson and John Gangte.
One Malini, a meira paibi from New Checkon, told the media that some 4-5 persons armed with rifles came at around 10.30 am and threatened some market vendors who were conducting their business at Tribal Market, New Checkon, Imphal East.
She reported that the armed miscreants threatened them not to open their vegetable shop at Tribal Market and told them to shut down their vendors while reminding them that “the communal clash is still going on.”
The vendors were further threatened that they will be shot dead if they continue selling their items at Tribal market, she said. Enraged locals of the area stormed the Tribal Market and protested against the incident, she further said.
Seeing the mob gathered, the armed miscreants fled from the spot and rushed to a nearby residence located near New Checkon crossing area, she added.
Later, a combined team of district police and commando, Imphal East along with central security forces cordoned off the area and conducted a search operation. Former MLA, TT Haokip, Bicky Singson and John Gangte were apprehended while the two licensed guns were seized.
In the meantime, a huge mob gathered from the eastern side of the New Checkon crossing. However, the security forces managed to block the mob at New Checkon crossing. To disperse the mob, the Central security forces fired some rounds of tear gas shells.
As the security forces were trying to disperse the mob, some miscreants set ablaze a residence built of wood at Chassad Avenue, New Checkon, Imphal East.
Locals reported that the house had been abandoned earlier as all the occupants already fled when communal clashes broke out in the state. The fire caught three more houses located adjacent to the house.
Two houses, which were already burned in an incident which happened earlier, were reduced to cinders while two remaining houses received only partial damages with the timely response from the Manipur Fire Service team.
Meanwhile, security advisor to the Manipur Government, Kuldiep Singh told the media at a press conference at CM Secretariat office that a mass search operation will be conducted in the area on Monday night to nab those miscreants who torched the house.
Meanwhile, the curfew timing which got shortened as '5 am to 1 pm' for Imphal East was again relaxed under new orders that were reportedly issued late in the evening. As per the latest reports, the curfew timings will be resumed as '5 am to 4 pm'.
