The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has recommended the chief secretary and commissioner-cum-secretary (Home), government of Manipur, as well as the DGP, Manipur to transfer the FIR of gun loot from licensed gun shop to Churachandpur Police Station with a direction to SP of Churachandpur to investigate the case by a non-Kuki and non-Meitei police officer at the rank of SP or deputy SP rank officer.
Owner of the gun shop lodged an FIR at Imphal police station, which was registered as FIR No. 148(05) 2023 IPC u/s 147/148/188/280/ 392/427/436/120-B IPC &; 25(1-5) Arms Act against the unknown suspected Kuki militants.
Although the incidents took place within the Churachandpur PS, the MHRC said it would be proper to transfer the FIR case to Churachanpdur PS.
Further, the MHRC asked the chief secretary, commissioner and DGP Manipur to submit a status report of the FIR.
The gun shop owner, identified as N Ibomcha Singh of Khumujamba Meitei Leikai, Churachandpur district, who was settled there and running a gun shop at Churachandpur with a proper licence of the government of Manipur, submitted for a direction to the DGP, Manipur, for protecting the Meitei community who are living within the jurisdiction of Churachandpur, including him.
He further submitted for recovering the guns which was looted by unknown miscreants from his shop and also for a direction to the chief secretary, secretary (Home), government of Manipur for deploying adequate police and IRB personnel at Churachandpur where Meitei people have been living for long time, now dislodged from their home, so that they could run their business and that no untoward incident should happen in future.
The shop owner also submitted that those Meiteis staying in Churachandpur have been living since the time of the Maharajas and no Kuki nor Naga nor any other tribes created any problems earlier. However, Kuki Militants, basically Myanmar Migrants and underground Kuki extremists, are killing innocent Meiteis and burning their houses and as a result, their life and property are affected, he added.
The commission stated that it cannot be one sided though it feels the agony of the complainant as he belongs to a Meitei community and has been doing his business in a hill area for a long time. It further stated that the Meiteis have been staying there since the inception of King’s Rule where the Kukis are majority in numbers at present and Ibomcha Singh wanting to protect his people’s interest is natural.
The commission noted the actions taken up for protection of property and life by government and statement of security adviser stationed in Imphal, where he said huge arms and ammunitions has already been recovered, number of which is about 800 arms and near about 11000 and odd ammunitions.
However, the commission stated that the respondents may consider the situation at present and try to identify the illegal Migrants/Militants/Extremists/Unknown accused persons within the state, including Churachandpur.
